The UN Committee against Racism (CERD) held a full-day thematic discussion on Racist Hate Speech at its meeting in Geneva on August 28, 2012. The German Institute for Human Rights submitted a written contribution for this discussion. With this contribution, the Institute would like to support the Committee in its work on a General Comment on the topic of "Racist Hate Speech". Such a General Comment could guide States Parties to better implement the Anti-Racism Convention. Under the Convention, States parties are required, among other things, to criminalize the dissemination of racist ideas. The opinion recommends that the Committee clarify the content and scope of this human rights obligation to protect and its relationship to freedom of expression.
