Delivered By: HE Mohamed Abushahab, Ambassador and Permanent Representative

Excellencies, colleagues,

I thank the Kingdom of Morocco for convening this High-Level Event, and express appreciation to the Secretary-General and the panelists for their invaluable insights. We also recognize the important work of the Office on Genocide Prevention in advancing this vital agenda both within the UN and beyond.

Today’s discussion comes at a critical time. Hate speech, extremism, misinformation and disinformation continue to proliferate globally – particularly online – posing serious threats to peace and social cohesion.

While the rise of artificial intelligence brings opportunities to promote early warning and prevention, if left unchecked, it could be exploited to amplify division, polarize societies and fuel conflict.

These issues were at the heart of the Arria-formula meeting co-hosted by the UAE and Albania in December 2023. The meeting underscored the urgent need for inclusive AI governance, robust safeguards, and the protection of information integrity in the digital age.

In this context, the UAE believes that AI tools can play a critical role in preventing and countering hate speech and other online harms. Security Council Resolution 2686 on “Tolerance, Peace, and Security” – the first to recognize that hate speech and extremism can contribute to conflict – requests UN peacekeeping and special political missions, within their respective mandates, to monitor and report on such acts that negatively affect peace and security.  

Implementing resolution 2686 is therefore critical for strengthening conflict prevention and resolution, as well as for peacekeeping and peacebuilding, in the AI and digital age.

Yet achieving these goals requires more than institutional action alone.

No government or organization can tackle hate speech on their own. It demands a whole-of-society response that mobilizes various stakeholders such as youth, women, faith leaders, civil society, and the private sector. Engaging a broad range of actors is essential to developing strategies that promote tolerance and bridge divides.

By deepening partnerships and mobilizing collective action to prevent and counter hate speech, extremism, and all forms of intolerance, we can build more resilient, prosperous and peaceful societies for all.

Thank you.