The Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue has launched a new initiative to adopt a unified international legislation, to deal with all forms of violence and terrorism, which requires all countries around the world to adopt and implement the initiative.

Dr. Hanif Al Qasim, Chairman of the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue, has called for an international conference to approve a binding agreement that will criminalise hate speech, discriminatory speech and any form of incitement of both physical and emotional violence, based on religion, culture or ethnicity. He also called for the agreement to be binding for all nations, to become part of the local legislation and achieve its purpose.

Al Qasim added that the United Nations, UN, had taken similar steps in the 1990s, where various conferences were organised to reach international agreements related to families, women and the general population.

"In 1994, the United Nations Conference on Population and Development was held in Cairo, and in 1995, the United Nations Conference on Women was held in Beijing. Since then, the status and situation of women and the family have changed in an unprecedented way across the world. There has been an international legislative basis that binds governments to not issue legislations that will contradict binding international agreements. In most countries, the local judiciary has rejected the adoption of any law or legislation that contradicts the international obligations of the state," he further added.

Al Qasim also stressed that his invitation to convene for this conference, under the umbrella of the UN, will provide an effective and lasting solution to the growing phenomenon of extremism, violence and terrorism, which stem from ideas that have been attributed to religion.

He also pointed out that this will make combatting hate and discriminatory speech an international commitment by states. Therefore, there will be no further need to protect the sovereignty or national interest of countries that are realised by supporting groups practicing hate speech and discrimination for political gain, he added.

Al Qasim also stressed that the UAE has led the efforts to confront hate and discriminatory speech in a civilised manner through laws and legislations, and has provided a tolerant environment as a model of human co-existence.

Source: Wam