The Chairperson of the Forum this year is Future of Free Speech senior fellow Dr. Natalie Alkiviadou.
The Thirteenth session of the Forum on Minority Issues is convened on 19 and 20 November 2020 pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 6/15 of 28 September 2007 and resolution 19/23 of 23 March 2012.
The Forum is convened on the theme “Hate Speech, Social Media and Minorities“. Expressions of online hate speech and discrimination mainly target minorities and often create a climate of exclusion, intolerance, hostility and even violence. There is indeed a need for careful and delicate efforts to ensuring the respect for the right to freedom of opinion and expression while combating hate speech that may lead to harm for minorities. The Forum shall analyse practices, challenges, opportunities and initiatives in addressing hate speech in social media against the minorities, in line with the principles and rights enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities and other relevant international instruments.
The Forum on Minority Issues meets annually for two working days allocated to thematic discussions. The Special Rapporteur on minority issues guides the work of the Forum, prepares its annual meetings and reports on the thematic recommendations of the Forum to the Human Rights Council. The recommendations of the Thirteenth session will be presented at the 46th session of the Human Rights Council, in March 2021.
See Natalies opening speech:
See Natalies closing speech:
See the rest of the events here: