On 13 March in Brussels, European Union Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner and Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge opened the second Coordination meeting on combatting anti-Muslim hatred and racism, co-organised by the European Commission and the Council of Europe.
Member states, representatives from Europe and beyond, and international organisations will discuss the situation regarding anti-Muslim hatred and ways of tackling it, as well as building on good practices. Participants will also discuss terminology and propose a way forward. Stakeholders from the media sector will join the meeting on the second day for an exchange of views on challenges related to anti-Muslim hatred and racism in the media and how good practices can be presented in the media and other arenas.
"By standing together, we are sending a clear and united message that confronting anti-Muslim hatred and racism requires a strong, international response", emphasised Bjørn Berge.
The Council of Europe, as a standard-setting organisation, plays a key role in providing the necessary tools to tackle discrimination, such as the CM Recommendation on Combatting Hate Speech and the General Policy Recommendation No. 5 from the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI).
At the end of the meeting, a joint press release will be issued.
Speech by the Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge
