Right of Reply to the Russian Federation on the Rise of neo-Nazism in the OSCE area
As delivered by Chargé d’Affaires Courtney Austrian
to the Permanent Council, Vienna
September 30, 2021
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Since my esteemed Russian colleague raised again the U.S. opposition to a UN resolution on Combating the Glorification of Nazis as well as hate groups in the United States, please allow me to just take a moment to repeat our clear position on these issues. I would just like to correct any possible misinterpretation.
The United States categorically condemns the glorification of Nazism and all modern forms of racism, xenophobia, discrimination, and related intolerance. We are an active partner in promoting remembrance of the Holocaust and more broadly, the United States condemns without reservation all forms of religious and ethnic intolerance or hatred at home and around the world.
However, due to the UN resolution’s overly narrow scope and politicized nature, this is the resolution that my esteemed Russian colleague brought up, and because it calls for unacceptable limits on the fundamental freedom of expression, the United States could not support it. While we share concerns over the rise of hate speech around the globe, this resolution’s recommendations to limit freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the right to peaceful assembly contravene the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as our own U.S. Constitution. We could support efforts at the UN that directly handle what we are trying to combat.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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