Words Matter.
Even a few words, used maliciously, can be transmitted globally in seconds, inciting people to violence and stoking racial, linguistic, and religious differences. That’s why UNICRI and the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect are leading a training on how to combat hate speech.
As the majority of countries has applied the social lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, violence against women and girls has intensified. According to UN Women, 243 million women and girls have suffered sexual and/or physical abuse committed by an intimate partner in the past 12 months. We believe that a gender perspectives should be included at all stages, during and following a crisis. A featured article by UNICRI's Programme Officer Alessandra Liquori O'Neill addresses national emergency response plans and gender issues in these challenging times.
Counter-messages and alternative narratives represent a powerful tool to prevent and counter violent extremism. The truthfulness of the contents, the ownership of the message and the style by which the narrative is conveyed are crucial elements for making an alternative narrative successful.
As the 2019 year comes to a close, we want to share with you some highlights of our work. Our mission is to advance justice and the rule of law in support of peace, human rights, security and sustainable development.
An effective strategy to mitigate CBRN risks of criminal, accidental or natural origin requires a very high level of co-operation and co-ordination both between different national agencies as well as among Countries and International and Regional Organizations. Lack of harmonization of national preparedness and fragmentation of responsibilities within the regional or international network can reduce effectiveness of prevention strategies and cause delay in response during crisis situation.