The role of political parties in fostering diversity and inclusion: a new charter for a non-racist society
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly
debate on 20 June 2022 (18th sitting) (see Doc. 15535, report of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination,
rapporteur: Mr Momodou Malcolm Jallow; and Doc. 15536, opinion of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy,
rapporteur: Sir Tony Lloyd). Text adopted
by the Assembly on 20 June 2022 (18th sitting).
1. Racism and
intolerance are rife in Europe, in spite of the efforts to eradicate
them on the part of public authorities, civil society organisations
and many other actors. Forms of intolerance including Afrophobia, antigypsyism,
antisemitism, Islamophobia and xenophobia, as well as online and
offline hate speech, are on the rise. Moreover, certain individuals
and groups that are habitual victims of structural discrimination
and widespread bias face additional hostility and scapegoating whenever
Europe is affected by an international crisis, such as the 2015
refugee crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic and most recently the war
of aggression waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
2. The Council of Europe has long been committed to combating
racism and intolerance through the action of its bodies and organs,
in particular the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance
(ECRI). The Parliamentary Assembly has consistently contributed
to these efforts by raising awareness of upsurges in racial hatred,
hate speech and various forms of intolerance and by calling on member
States to urgently implement specific measures it has prescribed.
3. Recalling its
Resolution
1967 (2014) “A strategy to prevent racism and intolerance in Europe”
and
Resolution 2275 (2019) “The role and responsibilities of political leaders
in combating hate speech and intolerance”, the Assembly reiterates
that government representatives and politicians in general should
lead the efforts to eliminate racism, hatred and intolerance with
resolve and set an example by publicly challenging, rejecting and
condemning expressions of hatred, from whatever quarters they come.
The Assembly also reiterates that politicians, along with other
public figures, have a vital role to play in promoting a model of
society that embraces diversity and respects human dignity and in
embodying this model, as their status and visibility allow them
to influence a wide audience, to set an example for others and to
set to a significant degree the themes and tone of public discourse.
4. In this context, political parties are best placed to counter
racism, intolerance and hate speech, promote diversity and foster
inclusion in European societies. In times of electoral campaigns
and in their regular activity, their communication largely contributes
to shaping the political discourse. Political parties enjoy a wide autonomy
in regulating their internal functioning and the duties of their
members. In addition, as the main gatekeepers of elected bodies,
they are best placed to promote the political representation of
all social groups and communities.
5. The Charter of European Political Parties for a Non-Racist
Society, drawn up under the auspices of the European Union Consultative
Commission on Racism and Xenophobia and opened for signature in
Utrecht in 1998, was a praiseworthy initiative that gave political
parties the possibility to formalise their commitment to defending
basic human rights and democratic principles and rejecting all forms
of racism, intolerance and hate speech. The charter was based on
the self-regulatory power of political parties. Over 80 European
parties had adhered to the charter by 2003.
6. The Assembly welcomes the revision of the charter undertaken
by its Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination in co-operation
with the European Parliament’s Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup
(ARDI), the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance and
the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission)
and the document resulting from this process.
7. In view of the evolution of Europe’s social and political
landscape and the manifestations of racism and intolerance that
have emerged in the decades that have followed the adoption of the
original document, its revised version has a wider scope, reflected
in a new title: Charter of European Political Parties for a Non-racist and
Inclusive Society.
8. In the light of these considerations, the Assembly:
8.1 endorses the revised Charter
of European Political Parties for a Non-racist and Inclusive Society
Note and calls on all democratic political
parties to sign and enforce it in their internal functioning and
their public action, including by asking that all members formally
commit to complying with its principles by signing the charter personally
and by establishing independent complaints mechanisms;
8.2 calls on the national parliaments of Council of Europe
member States to endorse the charter, and on political groups and
national delegations in the Assembly to promote it among their members;
8.3 invites the European Parliament to endorse the charter
and promote it among its political groups;
8.4 encourages civil society actors, including the media,
to observe the conduct of political parties and play a proactive
role in holding them accountable in the event of non-compliance
with their commitments under the charter.
9. The Assembly intends to periodically review the state of implementation
of the charter and considers that the No Hate Parliamentary Alliance
should be associated with the relevant procedure, and that it should contribute
to the promotion of the charter among political parties and groups.
