Marking the International Human Rights Day 2016, the BiH Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, with the support of the EU-funded project ‘Support to the social service providers and enhancement of monitoring capacities (EU SOCEM)’, organised an international conference titled “Where hate speech starts– freedom of speech ends” on 8 December 2016 in Sarajevo.

On this occasion, Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina Ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark recalled that almost all countries in the world are faced with the rise of hate speech and offensive language in public.

“Today we are here to discuss a red line between freedom of expression and hate speech. How can hate speech be prevented and whose responsibility it is to promote and facilitate freedom of expression,” said Ambassador Wigemark.

He also emphasised the importance of fact-based public debates. “It is always easy to focus on simple exaggerated statements, especially in politics rather than to focus on hard facts. You will see now, as part of the EU process, beginning with the handover of the Questionnaire, that the EU will be looking for facts, including how BiH deals with the hate speech,” Ambassador Wigemark concluded.

BiH Minister for Human Rights and Refugees Semiha Borovac noted that spreading hate speech has a negative impact on the society as well as far-reaching consequences.

“We in the region need mutual cooperation and coordination to tackle this issue together. We need more dialogue, tolerance, mutual respect, and respect for others. I would like to underline that we all need a self-critical review of our own beliefs,” Minister Borovac added.

Secretary General of the BH Journalists’ Association Borka Rudić underlined the role of media in combating and preventing hate speech.

‘’What is very important is that journalists and media themselves are not sources of hate speech. Media should deconstruct hate speech of other actors, thus showing that it has no place in public debates in BiH”, Rudić noted.

The goal of the conference was to present the institutional legal framework of Bosnia and Herzegovina, neighbouring countries and the European Union in the context of confronting hate speech and to introduce initiatives and current achievements in prevention and suppression of hate speech aimed at outlining new opportunities, as well as to demonstrate readiness of BiH institutions to deal with this problem.

The conference was attended by representatives of various diplomatic missions in BiH, international organisations, relevant BiH authorities and civil society organisations.

The two-year EU-funded project ‘Support to the social service providers and enhancement of monitoring capacities (EU SOCEM)’ worth EUR 1,758,000 is implemented by the EPRD and aims to improve the social protection of vulnerable and socially disadvantaged groups and to enhance monitoring, reporting and promotion of the human rights system.