A/HRC/28/64
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
5 January 2015
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Twenty-eight session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Report of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues,
Rita Izsák
Summary
The present report provides an update of the activities of the Special Rapporteur on
minority issues during 2014. It includes a thematic discussion on “Hate speech and
incitement to hatred against minorities in the media”. Media, in its diverse forms, is an
essential component of today’s societies, providing huge benefits and possibilities,
including in the field of minority issues. Nevertheless, the Special Rapporteur highlights
that media can also be misused as a platform for discrimination, exclusion and the
incitement of hostility and violence against particular individuals and groups, through hate
speech as well as xenophobic discourse.
The Special Rapporteur identifies and analyses factors that influence and perpetuate
hate speech in the media. She urges States to adopt legislation prohibiting national, racial or
religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, in line
with article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and to put in
place practical policy and programme measures to prevent hate speech from leading to hate
crimes.
GE.15-00032 (E)