Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The UN Resident Coordinator Office in Nepal and UNESCO Kathmandu Tuesday organized a workshop aimed at tackling digital violence and hate speech in Nepal.
According to a statement issued by the UN Resident Coordinator Office, the workshop brought together government and civil society leaders to discuss the issue and find ways to combat it.
Speaking at the program, the UN Resident Coordinator Designate in Nepal, Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, emphasized the importance of creating safer online experiences, especially in the climate of aggressive digitalization. She further stated that effective partnerships between the government, civil society, and tech companies are necessary to combat digital violence and hate speech. “These partnerships should prioritize protection over profits, and involve the private sector, civil society, and communities. Laws, police, and courts willing to create consequences for illegal activity are also necessary, along with strong alliances that address the issues beyond regulation,” she added.
Sharing the lessons from the 2022 elections in Nepal, Dr Janaki Kumari Tuladhar, Commissioner, the Election Commission, expressed her concern over the issue of hate speech and disinformation. She revealed that the Election Commission partnered with social media company Meta to counter disinformation and hate speech during the 2022 elections.
The workshop provided space for dialogue between government, civil society, development partners, and other practitioners to share experiences and propose future actions. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech in 2019 to address the issue globally.
The UN’s long-term goal is to encourage a collective effort to widen preventive measures and early warning actions on hate speech and disinformation in the country, the statement added.
