Combating Antisemitism: U.S. Leads Over 30 Countries In Adopting ‘Global Guidelines’

The United States said on Friday it would soon reach out to countries around the world, including Azerbaijan, to join signatories of newly unveiled Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

Early this week, the U.S, along with the European Commission and Organization of American States, announced the major commitment of over 30 countries to take action against rising antisemitism and to help governments shape strategies and action plans against it.

The guidelines were adopted in Buenos Aires, Argentina and are legally non-binding. They include policies to monitor and combat antisemitism “that can be implemented to a wide variety of national, regional, and cultural contexts,” according to the State Department.

"We do not delude ourselves that these global guidelines will eradicate antisemitism. But we do think that they provide a very good map or blueprint for not just government leaders, but state leaders, city leaders, leaders of NGOs, of universities, of what they can do to address antisemitism,"  Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, told reporters during a Friday call organized by the State Department's Brussels Media Hub.

"We are continuing to gain signatories. The latest one yesterday was Ukraine, and it was very moving to have them join this group of nations," she said.

The fight against antisemitism very much resonates with Ukrainians "in part because Russia has used antisemitism and accusations of Nazism and fascism against Ukraine as part of its propaganda, as part of its war efforts, etc," Lipstadt told TURAN's correspondent.

When asked about Azerbaijan's potential involvement, Lipstadt said, so far, they've reached out to counterparts in Europe and countries in the Americas. "... Other countries began to hear about it and say, well, we’d like to join in."

She went on to add, "We now go into our second phase.  And I’m sure the countries you’ve mentioned, we will certainly reach out to them."

The guidelines are as follows: speak out, avoid politicization, adopt and implement, appoint and empower, understand and define, protect, collect, enforce, educate, cultivate a whole-of-society commitment, engage social media, and strengthen international collaboration.