The United Nations has urged the UK to take action to curb racist hate speech, including by politicians, in a report published on Friday. It noted the persistence of hate speech published in mainstream media, online, and spread by politicians and public figures. The report did not single out specific politicians or instances, but urged authorities to “formally and publicly reject and condemn hate speech and the dissemination of racist ideas”.The UN said it was “particularly concerned” about racist acts and violence by “far-right and white supremacist” groups, such as during recent riots across England and Northern Ireland fuelled by misinformation and anti-immigrant sentiment. The BBC has asked the Home Office for comment.The UN’s recommendations came from its four-year review of the UK’s record on tackling racial discrimination – a requirement for countries signed on to international conventions. The UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination urged the UK to address alleged racial profiling by police and discrimination in criminal justice, housing, schools and healthcare.It also said it was especially concerned by the persistence and in some cases “sharp increase” of hate crimes and hate speech in the UK.The committee highlighted what they said were recurring racist acts and violence against minorities, asylum seekers and refugees, including during riots in late July and early August. The UN characterised authorities as having taken “swift action” in response. At least 466 people have been charged with crimes related to the riots, some of which targeted mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the time said the riots were the “actions of a tiny, mindless minority” and condemned “far-right hatred”. The UN recommended that the UK prevent racist hate crimes by encouraging reporting to police, prosecuting perpetrators, and strengthening measures to combat hate speech on social media, among other measures. Much of the evidence considered by the committee would have been collected before the general election and the riots. …
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[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnThe United Nations has urged the UK to take action to curb racist hate speech, including by politicians, in a report published on Friday. It noted the persistence of hate speech published in mainstream media, online, and spread by politicians and public figures. The report did not single out specific politicians or instances, but urged authorities to “formally and publicly reject and condemn hate speech and the dissemination of racist ideas”.The UN said it was “particularly concerned” about racist acts and violence by “far-right and white supremacist” groups, such as during recent riots across England and Northern Ireland fuelled by misinformation and anti-immigrant sentiment. The BBC has asked the Home Office for comment.The UN’s recommendations came from its four-year review of the UK’s record on tackling racial discrimination – a requirement for countries signed on to international conventions. The UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination urged the UK to address alleged racial profiling by police and discrimination in criminal justice, housing, schools and healthcare.It also said it was especially concerned by the persistence and in some cases “sharp increase” of hate crimes and hate speech in the UK.The committee highlighted what they said were recurring racist acts and violence against minorities, asylum seekers and refugees, including during riots in late July and early August. The UN characterised authorities as having taken “swift action” in response. At least 466 people have been charged with crimes related to the riots, some of which targeted mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the time said the riots were the “actions of a tiny, mindless minority” and condemned “far-right hatred”. The UN recommended that the UK prevent racist hate crimes by encouraging reporting to police, prosecuting perpetrators, and strengthening measures to combat hate speech on social media, among other measures. Much of the evidence considered by the committee would have been collected before the general election and the riots. …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
