The members of the Strategic Council for the Prevention of Hate Speech presented and submitted the adopted systemic recommendations for specific areas of particular importance for the prevention of hate speech to Prime Minister Golob. In addition to the general recommendations to the government, they made recommendations in the areas of education and youth, prevention, (punitive) legal response, the media, and the Internet.

The Strategic Council held consultations and meetings with several non-governmental organisations, experts, and groups. Visiting national and international experts, who daily work towards building a more tolerant and welcoming society, presented their views at each meeting of the Strategic Council. State institutions, such as the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office, and independent state bodies, such as the Human Rights Ombudsman, also presented their views to the Strategic Council.

Prime Minister Golob thanked the members and all the participants for their work and said that this was a prime example of how more than 40 representatives of experts, the civil society, ministries, and other institutions had come together in one place. The Prime Minister said that this had created an environment in which this important issue had been discussed in respectful dialogue, in a democratic manner, and in search of conceptual solutions. “As politicians, we must set an example to the citizens and be the first to say no to hate speech,” concluded Prime Minister Golob.

The Strategic Council for the Prevention of Hate Speech is an independent advisory body to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Dr Robert Golob, which was established on 17 March 2023 in response to the rise in intolerance, hate speech, and deepening inequality in recent years. The main purpose of the Strategic Council is to develop systemic proposals for the prevention of hate speech and for establishing systemic practices aimed at promoting tolerance, a culture of dialogue, and solidarity. Hate speech can undermine the fundamental rights of dignity, equality and non-discrimination, and measures to prevent hate speech are thus crucial to ensuring the protection of human rights.

The members of the Strategic Council recognised the establishment of the Strategic Council for the Prevention of Hate Speech as an extremely important gesture, showing the Prime Minister’s commitment on a symbolic level to the systematic establishment of a tolerant society of solidarity.