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STORY: UN / MUSCAT PLAN OF ACTION
TRT: 3:19
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 11 JUNE 2026, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1.Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters
11 JUNE 2026, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, conference room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“The primary responsibility for preventing genocide and other atrocity crimes rests with States. But all of society plays a role. The Muscat Plan of Action draws on centuries of knowledge and the expertise of traditional and Indigenous leaders. It reminds us that hate speech is both a warning sign that violence is coming – and a catalyst that speeds its arrival.”
4. Wide shot, conference room
5. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Digital platforms must do far more to protect individuals and groups from harm. I am particularly concerned about the risks faced by children. States should require tech companies to embed user safety in product design – and rein in misguided algorithms and misuses of artificial intelligence.”
6. Wide shot, conference room
7. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“The United Nations is committed to strengthening the role of traditional and Indigenous leaders in the prevention and resolution of conflicts. You bring crucial knowledge of local realities – plus the respect and trust of your people. Your authority and influence can help ease tensions before they escalate. And your lived experience makes it more likely that the mediation and settlement of disputes will be respected, implemented, and sustained. That is why your perspectives must be front and centre in efforts to combat hate speech and prevent genocide and other atrocity crimes. And this includes faith leaders, youth leaders, and women leaders.”
8. Wide shot, conference room
9. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“We must confront hate speech – and uphold human rights and human dignity – before it’s too late. States have clear obligations under international law to combat incitement to hatred – and to promote inclusion, respect for diversity, and solidarity. Reining in hate speech does not mean extinguishing freedom of expression. At the same time, freedom of expression must never be an excuse for harmful messages. I am determined to keep advancing the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech – as well as the Global Principles for Information Integrity, our roadmap to a safer, more ethical digital ecosystem.”
10. Wide shot, conference room
11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Dr. Mohammed bin Said Al Maamari, Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs in the Sultanate of Oman:
“What our world is facing now is not the multiplicity of identities and religions, but there is a regression in understanding each other. And it is not a regression in cultures. It is a regression in the spaces that allow people to cooperate despite their differences and despite their diversity. And here we see the main message of the Muscat Plan of Action that real peace is not built on fear. It is built through trust and not through exclusion, but through participation. It is not achieved by weakening identities, but by directing it towards serving the humanity for overall good.”
11. Wide shot, conference room
Launching the Muscat Plan of Action today (11 Jun), Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that hate speech is a growing threat to peace and security, and called for breaking this cycle through education, support for those targeted, and stronger action by governments and technology companies.
Muscat Plan of Action is an initiative aimed at countering hate speech and help prevent genocide and atrocity crimes. The Plan highlights the role of traditional and Indigenous leaders in promoting peace and strengthening social cohesion. It is the result of a collaborative process led by the Sultanate of Oman, the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, and the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, and is co-hosted by the UN Alliance of Civilizations.
In his remarks, the Secretary-General said, “the primary responsibility for preventing genocide and other atrocity crimes rests with States. But all of society plays a role.”
He emphasized that the Muscat Plan of Action draws on centuries of knowledge and the expertise of traditional and Indigenous leaders. “It reminds us that hate speech is both a warning sign that violence is coming – and a catalyst that speeds its arrival,” Guterres added.
The Secretary-General also cautioned that digital platforms “must do far more to protect individuals and groups from harm,” stating he is particularly concerned about the risks faced by children.
He said, “States should require tech companies to embed user safety in product design – and rein in misguided algorithms and misuses of artificial intelligence.”
Guterres highlighted that the world body is “committed to strengthening the role of traditional and Indigenous leaders in the prevention and resolution of conflicts.” He emphasized that their perspectives “must be front and centre in efforts to combat hate speech and prevent genocide and other atrocity crimes. And this includes faith leaders, youth leaders, and women leaders.”
The Secretary-General reiterated, “we must confront hate speech – and uphold human rights and human dignity – before it’s too late.”
He said, “States have clear obligations under international law to combat incitement to hatred – and to promote inclusion, respect for diversity, and solidarity,” adding that reining in hate speech does not mean extinguishing freedom of expression. At the same time, freedom of expression must never be an excuse for harmful messages.
Guterres said, “I am determined to keep advancing the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech – as well as the Global Principles for Information Integrity, our roadmap to a safer, more ethical digital ecosystem.”
For his part, Dr. Mohammed bin Said Al Maamari, Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs in the Sultanate of Oman said, “what our world is facing now is not the multiplicity of identities and religions, but there is a regression in understanding each other. And it is not a regression in cultures. It is a regression in the spaces that allow people to cooperate despite their differences and despite their diversity.”
The Omani official added that the main message of the Muscat Plan of Action is “real peace is not built on fear. It is built through trust and not through exclusion, but through participation. It is not achieved by weakening identities, but by directing it towards serving the humanity for overall good.”
