PM Krivokapić meets with UN Under-Secretary-General Alice Wairimu Nderitu

Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić met with UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu.

Prime Minister Krivokapić expressed satisfaction with the long-standing partnership with the UN system, as well as the support provided by UN agencies to Montenegro for socio-economic development, including assistance in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Krivokapić pointed out that he believes that the relevant subjects in society have sufficient democratic capacity to define the best way to build a system based on the most developed European democracies.

Prime Minister Krivokapić told UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser Nderitu that he understood that dealing with the past only made sense if there are lessons learned from that experience that made citizens better.

Condemning all kinds of hate speech, Prime Minister Krivokapić said that freedom of expression must include the responsibility of speakers, as well as a very precise penal policy.

PM Krivokapić assessed that Montenegro fosters good relations with its neighbours and that it is recognised as a promoter of peace and regional cooperation.

Special Adviser Nderitu said that she appreciated Montenegro's efforts and its role in the Western Balkans in the fight against human rights violations and the steps it has taken to implement preventive measures, especially when it comes to the denial of genocide and war crimes. In this regard, she praised the adoption of the resolution on Srebrenica in June 2021.

You set a good example. You have adopted several legal acts that help to achieve unity, Nderitu pointed out.

The Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide praised the Government's commitment to economic empowerment of citizens, especially the Government's project of free textbooks for all primary school children, emphasising that the education system should be the strongest instrument of the state in combating hate speech.

Furthermore, she said that social media have a great role in connecting and communicating, but that they carry certain risks and dangers for users.

The officials agreed that the school, family and media must pay more attention to the phenomenon of social media and hate speech on social media.