Hate-Based Violence & other topics - Daily Briefing (29 April 2019)

Briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Daily Press Briefing:
- SG on Intolerance and Hate-Based Violence
- SG's Travels
- Middle East
- Libya
- Cyclone Kenneth
- Sexual Violence
- Antimicrobial Resistance
- Ebola
- Venezuela Children
- Iran
- Honour Roll
SECRETARY-GENERAL ON INTOLERANCE AND HATE-BASED VIOLENCE
Further to the Secretary-General’s tweet on Saturday evening following the attack on the synagogue in California, the Secretary-General issued a statement on hate-based violence:
Around the world, we are seeing a disturbing groundswell of intolerance and hate-based violence targeting worshippers of many faiths. In recent days alone, a synagogue in the United States and a church in Burkina Faso have come under attack.
Such incidents have become all-too-familiar: Muslims gunned down in mosques, their religious sites vandalized; Jews murdered in synagogues, their gravestones defaced with swastikas; Christians killed at prayers and their churches often torched.
Houses of worship, instead of the safe havens they should be, have become targets.
Beyond the murders, there is a loathsome rhetoric: xenophobia, aimed not only at religious groups, but also at migrants, minorities and refugees; assertions of white supremacy; a resurgence of neo-Nazi ideology; venom directed at anyone considered the “other”.
Parts of the Internet are becoming hothouses of hate, as like-minded bigots find each other on-line, and platforms serve to inflame and enable hate to go viral.
As crime feeds on crime, and as vile views move from the fringes to the mainstream, the Secretary-General is profoundly concerned that we are nearing a pivotal moment in battling hatred and extremism.
That is why the Secretary-General has set in motion two urgent initiatives: devising a plan of action to fully mobilize the United Nations system’s response to tackling hate speech, led by his Special Representative on Genocide Prevention, Adama Dieng; and exploring how the United Nations can contribute in ensuring the safety of religious sanctuaries, an effort being led by his High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, Angel Miguel Moratinos.
The world must step up to stamp out anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim hatred, persecution of Christians and all other forms of racism, xenophobia, discrimination and incitement. 
Hatred is a threat to everyone – so it is a job for everyone. Political and religious leaders have a special responsibility to promote peaceful coexistence.  The Secretary-General will count on the strong support of Governments, civil society and other partners in working together to uphold the values that bind us to a single human family. And that statement, in the Secretary-General’s name, is being issued as we speak.

SECRETARY-GENERAL’S TRAVEL
As you know, the Secretary-General returned from Beijing, China, late Saturday evening.
Before leaving China, he took part in Leaders’ Roundtable Sessions as part of the Belt and Road Forum.
He delivered the keynote speech at a session on the topic of promoting green and sustainable development to implement the 2030 Agenda. He noted that addressing the deepening climate crisis requires action that is rooted in solutions that are sustainable and aligned with the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda.
The Secretary-General stressed that the green economy is the future as it fosters prosperity, creates decent work, addresses root causes of conflict and contributes to the full enjoyment of all human rights – civil, politic, economic, social and cultural.
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