Doc. 8886
7 November 2000

Racism and xenophobia in cyberspace

Motion for a recommendation

presented by Mrs Zwerver and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

1.       Expressions of racism and xenophobia on the internet face few obstacles. Racists from all over the world interact and exchange information relatively freely.

2.       On the "net" anyone can find CDs containing racist songs for sale. Material appears on internet that in many countries would have been confiscated immediately had it appeared in shops.

3.       In Council of Europe member states, the legal framework to combat racism and xenophobia is by no means perfect. More specifically the fight against racism and xenophobia on internet is an area where there is room for improvement.

4.       The Council of Europe is currently finalising a draft Convention on cyber–crime which will, amongst other objectives, aim at banning the distribution of child pornography via internet. On 10 October 2000, the Committee of Ministers requested the Parliamentary Assembly to deliver an opinion on this draft Convention.

5.       The draft Convention does not address the issue of racism, xenophobia, hate speech and racial discrimination on internet.

6.       Therefore the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers, in the draft Convention on cyber–crime, define as criminal acts the distribution of racist and xenophobic materials, hate speech and racial discrimination on the internet.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed : ¹

Zwerver, Netherlands, SOC

Aguiar, Portugal, EPP/CD

Brunetti, Italy, UEL

Cilevics, Latvia, SOC

Connor, Ireland, EPP/CD

Duivesteijn, Netherlands, SOC

Fehr, Switzerland, LDR

Fernandez Aguilar, Spain, EPP/CD

Hancock, United Kingdom, LDR

Judd, United Kingdom, SOC

Katseli, Greece, SOC

Kozlowski, Poland, EPP/CD

Laakso, Finland, UEL

Lauricella, Italy, SOC

Lopez Gonzalez, Spain, SOC

Mateju, Czech Republic, EPP/CD

Mutman, Turkey, SOC

Telek, Turkey, EDG

Timmermanns, Netherlands, SOC

Tkac, Slovakia, EDG

Valk, Netherlands, SOC

Vermot–Mangold, Switzerland, SOC

Wilkinson, United Kingdom, EDG

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group