The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the European Commission on Monday launched a two-year project to fight anti-Semitism in Europe through education, which also includes Croatia, at a time when Jewish communities feel an increased threat.

The new partnership is led by UNESCO and funded by the European Commission with the support of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), UNESCO said.

The project will be implemented in 12 EU member states, including Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, France, and Germany.

UNESCO will work with local authorities to train teachers, policymakers and civil society organisations to combat anti-Semitism through the education system, the United Nations agency said.

“Building a Europe without hatred and anti-Semitism begins in the classroom,” European Commission Commissioner Margaritas Schinas said on the occasion.

The goal is to strengthen the capacity of education systems to deal with problems such as conspiracy theories, anti-Semitic prejudices and stereotypes and hate speech on the Internet, and to respond to anti-Semitic incidents.