Mr. Hilale was speaking at a high-level event co-organized by the Permanent Mission of Morocco to the United Nations and the UN Office for the Prevention of Genocide on the occasion of the 3rd international day of fight against the speech of hatred under the theme “investing in the capacity of young people to fight and counter hate speech”. This Day, celebrated on June 18 each year, was proclaimed by the UN at the initiative of the Kingdom in July 2021.
In this context, Mr. Hilale indicated that His Majesty the King was kind enough to give His High Instructions to place young Moroccans at the heart of any integrated development strategy, by adopting policies focused on the principles of equal opportunities, quality education, civics and intellectual and professional empowerment.
The aim is to guarantee that young people are protected against any marginal risky behavior and empowered to act as vectors of change in society, said the diplomat, stressing that the involvement of Moroccan youth in the fight and reduction hate speech and extremism in society has proven “very useful” in the fight against all forms of social exclusion, hence the relevance of the Moroccan Integrated National Youth Strategy (2015-2030) .
Noting that Morocco attaches paramount importance to the indispensable role of civil society and youth associations, the ambassador also recalled the establishment in July 2011 of the Advisory Council for Youth and Associative Action.
“To date, Morocco has around 50,000 associations present throughout the national territory. These associations operate in several areas covering education, social inclusion, health, sport, political leadership, defense of human rights. “Man and the development of youth”, he indicated, adding that the action of these associations contributes to protecting Moroccan youth from the scourge of hate speech and to promoting their role as actors of change.
Ambassador Hilale also stressed that His Majesty the King reiterated the importance of including young people in His message to the 9th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), held in November 2022. in Fez, in which the Sovereign affirmed that the dialogue is “intergenerational: that is to say that it involves youth and combines the future with the present. Young people not only represent the generations we must protect from the scourge of war and hate speech; they are the ones who are already making peace”.
Furthermore, speakers at this event praised the role and leadership of the Kingdom in the fight against hate speech, in all its forms, including in the digital space where hate speech proliferates. They also indicated that this international day serves as a reminder of the importance of standing together against hate speech and mobilizing the efforts of all components of society, including young people, to overcome this scourge. .
The holding of this high-level event established the role of the Kingdom, under the far-sighted leadership of His Majesty the King, as a regional and international leader in the fight against hate speech. It is also a recognition of the actions that Morocco continues to undertake to promote the virtues of coexistence, living together and dialogue in the world.
The event was marked by the reading of a message from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. In this message, the senior UN official notably indicated that young people are often the most affected by hate speech, particularly online, believing that these young people must be part of the solution.
“Governments, local authorities, religious, business and community leaders have a duty to invest in measures to promote tolerance, diversity and inclusion, and to combat hate speech in all its forms” ‘, he recommended.
For his part, the President of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis insisted in his pre-recorded message on the need to reflect the values of harmony, tolerance, understanding and respect which are fundamental for healthy societies and dynamic.
“This is how we must involve the 1.2 billion people on the planet. Young people, who represent 16% of the world’s population, are the most connected online. They are often the first to be exposed to hatred in online, as targets, victims or bystanders, and they have a vital role to play as agents of positive change,” he said.
This event, which saw the participation of several ambassadors and diplomats accredited to the UN, was marked by the interventions of young people and a number of UN officials, in particular the UN Under-Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, the Special Advisor on Children’s Rights at UNICEF, the Office’s Special Adviser on Violence Against Children, as well as Representatives of the United Nations Development Program and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
2024-10-06 14:45:02