Policy paper

Broad Conference Statement on Freedom of Religion or Belief

Updated 7 July 2022

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

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Pre-amble

  1. The International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), hosted by the UK on 5th and 6th July 2022, built on previous conferences hosted by the US and Poland. It provided a valuable opportunity to drive forward international efforts to protect and promote FoRB for all, and to consider what more can be done to prevent people being discriminated against or persecuted because of their faith or belief.

  2. As countries who participated in the Conference, we share a commitment to freedom of religion or belief for everyone. The right to freedom of religion or belief is enshrined in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The 1981 Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief builds on this. However, many people still live in fear of persecution because of what they choose to believe or not to believe, or how they choose to practise those beliefs.

  3. Every person, everywhere, has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, and every person has the right to hold any faith or belief, or none at all, and the freedom to change their faith.

  4. We recognise that challenges to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief are growing in different shapes and forms around the world. Being denied these rights can have a profound impact on members of religious and belief communities.

  5. We welcome the leadership role of the International Freedom of Religion or Belief Alliance, and its growth both in strength of numbers and depth of activities and the valuable role played by its Council of Experts. We also welcome and value the work of the International Contact Group on FoRB.

  6. The Conference and associated fringe programme brought together a wide range of international partners, civil society, religious and belief communities, and leading practitioners for discussions on outcome-based action.

  7. The Conference helped to identify what is working on FoRB in different countries, explored how we can apply new lessons and approaches, and focussed on how to inspire the next generation to champion and defend freedom of religion or belief across the world.

  8. Following on from the Conference, we reaffirm the importance of collective action and engagement with civil society, including faith and belief groups and communities, to assist in identifying existing and emerging obstacles to the enjoyment of the right to FoRB, and to promote respect between and within different communities.

We commit to

  • protect freedom of thought, conscience, religion, or belief and ensure individuals can freely change their beliefs, or not believe, without penalty or fear of violence
  • raise awareness of the current challenges to FoRB across the world, the relevance of FoRB to other human rights, and best practice in preventing violations and abuses and protecting and promoting FoRB for all
  • speak out bilaterally, as well as through multilateral institutions, against violations and abuses of the right to freedom of religion or belief
  • look for opportunities to work more closely together with international partners, civil society actors, human rights experts, academia and faith and belief actors to implement practical solutions to address FoRB challenges, exchange best practice, and build shared commitments
  • strengthen the voices and build the capacity of defenders of FoRB, including religious or belief actors, inspiring future leaders and young people, and building and reinforcing global coalitions for collective action
  • annually mark the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief on 22 August, which was established in 2019 as a day to remember the victims of religious persecution and to commit to help those suffering acts of intolerance and violence based on religion or belief

Co-signatories

  • Albania
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada
  • Colombia
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • Georgia
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Kenya
  • Lithuania
  • The Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Romania
  • The Slovak Republic
  • Slovenia
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom
  • United States of America
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