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On International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, we call for an end to hate speech

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which proclaims that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. That is why, on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, we issue a call for tolerance, respect and an end to hate speech. This is the only way we can move forward as a society.

Unfortunately, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and hate speech remain widespread, and no country is immune to them. They are symptoms of a wider societal problem that is giving rise to new forms of intolerance and discrimination, most often affecting the most vulnerable and already marginalised groups. That is why we must work all the harder to promote tolerance, respect and dialogue, both at the level of the state and of society.

Slovenia is actively working to achieve this, and has made the elimination of all forms of discrimination one of its foreign policy priorities in the field of human rights. For the past two decades, we have focused on educating children around the world about human rights through Our Rights. Since 2005, this project has reached more than 350,000 children. Slovenia will continue to promote the implementation of international legal instruments to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, hate speech and other forms of intolerance, including within the framework of international organisations.