(AGENPARL) – Tue 17 June 2025 Image
PRESS RELEASE
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
Ref. CG041(2025)
Local and regional authorities are part of the solution to hate speech online
“Discrimination and personal attacks thrive in the anonymity of the internet, and the rise of Artificial Intelligence is creating the means to spread hate by new means and to a wider audience. The targets are often specific groups – including women, LGBTI people and ethnic or religious minorities – and the impact can be intimidation, exclusion and self-censorship. But any individual can be the victim of hate speech online – and all of us must do what we can to stop it”, said Ms Rehman.
“Education programmes to protect young people from being groomed online for political radicalisation and violent extremism; ensuring that any digital and AI tools commissioned are designed to counter hate rather than enable it; protecting elected representatives from online attacks and supporting them where these happen. These are just some of the measures that local and regional authorities can take to help turn the tide of hate speech.
“Given the scale of the problem, there isn’t a moment to lose.”
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is an institution of the Council of Europe, responsible for strengthening local and regional democracy in its 46 member states. Composed of two chambers – the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions – and three committees, it brings together 612 elected officials representing more than 130 000 local and regional authorities.
President of the Congress: Marc Cools (Belgium, ILDG), President of the Chamber of Local Authorities: Bernd Vöhringer (Germany, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Regions: Cecilia Dalman Eek (Sweden, SOC/G/PD).
Political groups: Group of Socialists, Greens and Progressive Democrats (SOC/G/PD), Group of the European Peoples Party (EPP/CCE), Independent Liberal and Democratic Group (ILDG), European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR).
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Council of Europe/Conseil de l’Europe, Avenue de l’Europe, Strasbourg, . 67000 France