Hilale was speaking at a high-level event co-organized by Morocco's Permanent Mission to the United Nations and the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect to celebrate the first-ever International Day for Countering Hate Speech under the theme "The Role of education to address the root causes of hate speech and advance inclusion, non-discrimination, and peace''. The day, celebrated on June 18 each year, was proclaimed by the UN at the initiative of the Kingdom in July 2021.

The ambassador noted, on this occasion, the rise of hate speech in several countries around the world, as well as the stigmatization and instrumentalization of migrants, refugees and minorities.

He also noted that Morocco has strengthened its legislative and institutional arsenal to promote acceptance, mutual recognition and respect for "otherness" and exclude prejudice, stereotypes and hatred, while maintaining the teachings of a moderate Islam.

He stressed that Morocco, under the visionary leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, has been committed to the effort to combat hate speech through a complete overhaul of the Moroccan educational system, including the reform of religious educational institutions such as Al Qarawayyin and Dar Al Hadith Al Hassaniyya universities as well as all Islamic educational programs.

This strategy has strengthened Morocco's position as a host country for a number of migrants and refugees from Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Hilale noted, adding that the Kingdom is a "fierce opponent" to this scourge.

Hilale said that the concepts of altruism and religious diversity have been introduced in all general education courses, noting that under the High Instructions of HM the King, several specialized research centers have been launched in this field.

In 2014, the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, Morchidines and Morchidates came into being by virtue of a Royal Dhahir, he recalled, pointing out that the training within this institution includes practical and theoretical subjects of Sharia, and a range of humanistic disciplines that religious preachers need to understand the context in which they work.

Furthermore, he noted that the Moroccan strategy on immigration and asylum is focused on combating the spread of hateful rhetoric, as well as promoting the values of acceptance, coexistence and integration.

Also, Hilale said that the celebration of the 1st anniversary of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech is an important step to advance efforts to address this scourge and promote a common commitment to inclusion and peace in a current context marked by uncertainty, ignorance and hatred.

In this context, he stressed the need to strengthen capacities, monitoring systems and evaluation methodologies at the international, national and local levels to effectively combat hate speech, insisting that the only credible and feasible response to this "devastating scourge" is international cooperation, multilateral action and global solidarity.

"The UN remains at the center of galvanizing global efforts to adopt a common vision of living together, rather than inciting discrimination, hatred and violence," he concluded.

For her part, the Under-Secretary-General, UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, thanked Morocco for its contribution to the fight against hate speech, noting that the Kingdom was the "driving force" in the adoption of the resolution under which June 18 was proclaimed international day for countering hate speech.

She praised the efforts made by Morocco on the multilateral scene to fight hate speech, pointing out, in this regard, the value and relevance of the Fez Action Plan on the role of religious leaders in preventing incitement to violence.

In the same vein, president of the UN General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid thanked Morocco for organizing this event, which highlights the importance of education in the fight against the spread of hate speech.

He noted that the "insidious" effects of this scourge, which are unimaginable, encourage the "forces of discrimination", stressing the importance of a collective response to counter the repercussions of this phenomenon "which risk further marginalizing already vulnerable communities".

Stressing the importance of education as an effective tool "at our disposal" to fight hate speech and promote diversity and inclusion, the senior UN official said it was necessary to instill in new generations the need to take the measure of their behavior especially on the Internet.

High Representative of the United Nations for the Alliance of Civilizations, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, warned against the spread of hate speech in the world, considering that this scourge can be a blow to peace and development.

This phenomenon paves the way to conflict and tension, he warned, saying that hate speech is not part of the freedom of expression.

For his part, Yassine Isboua, National Coordinator of the movement against hate speech in Morocco called for a collective effort to counteract the advance of hate speech in the world, especially on social networks.