UN Special Rapporteur Publishes Eight-Point Action Plan for Governments to Combat Rising Antisemitism Worldwide

United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Dr. Ahmed Shaheed has published a new eight-point action plan for governments and other stakeholders worldwide to combat rising antisemitism.

The plan is a follow-up to the historic 2019 report authored by Shaheed that identified “violence, discrimination and expressions of hostility motivated by antisemitism as a serious obstacle to the enjoyment of the right to freedom of religion or belief,” and urged countries to “adopt a human-rights based approach in combating antisemitism.”

In the latest document, Shaheed noted, “Antisemitism remains a persistent and serious global problem, with a range, scale and depth that has continued to expand since 2019. Disturbingly, although the number of documented incidents in some countries decreased in 2020, attacks on Jewish people and sites reportedly were committed at record-high levels in many countries once again in 2021.”

“While a substantial proportion of antisemitic incidents are committed by individuals who are affiliated with or influenced by extremist movements, antisemitic attitudes have also seemingly grown more prevalent among people who do not hold extremist views, and antisemitic discourse of several varieties has become increasingly normalized,” he added.

The eight actions recommended by Shaheed are as follows:

1. Adopt and communicate a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitic statements and incidents.

2. Establish national structures to ensure consistent attention to understanding and combating antisemitism.

3. Ensure all of society can recognize antisemitism and know the facts of the Holocaust.

4. Improve national efforts to monitor, record, and publish data on antisemitic hate crimes and incidents and support victims of antisemitism.

5. Ensure Jewish communities’ physical safety and ability to practice their religion.

6. Curb the spread of harmful antisemitic narratives online while appropriately safeguarding freedom of expression.

7. Express solidarity with Jewish communities and strengthen intercommunal and interfaith cooperation.

8. Ensure international organizations devote appropriate attention to combating antisemitism as a human rights concern.

The eight-point action plan can be read in full here.