Freedom of religion or belief
A/RES/71/196
in teaching, practice, worship and observance, including the right to change one’s
religion or belief;
2.
Emphasizes that the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion
or belief applies equally to all persons, regardless of their religion or belief and
without any discrimination as to their equal protection by the law;
3.
Strongly condemns violations of freedom of thought, conscience and
religion or belief as well as all forms of intolerance, discrimination and violence
based on religion or belief;
4.
Recognizes with deep concern the overall rise in instances of
discrimination, intolerance and violence, regardless of the actors, directed against
members of many religious and other communities in various parts of the world,
including cases motivated by Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and Christianophobia
and prejudices against persons of other religions or beliefs;
5.
Reaffirms that terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any
religion or belief as this may have adverse consequences for the enjoyment of the
right to freedom of religion or belief of all members of the religious communities
concerned;
6.
Strongly condemns violence and acts of terrorism, which are increasing
in number and intensity, targeting individuals, including persons belonging to
religious minorities, on the basis of or in the name of religion or belief, and
underlines the importance of a comprehensive and inclusive community-based
preventive approach, involving a wide set of actors, including civil society and
religious communities;
7.
Recalls that States have an obligation to exercise due diligence to
prevent, investigate and punish acts of violence, intimidation and harassment against
a person or a group of persons belonging to a religious minority, regardless of the
perpetrator, and that failure to do so may constitute a human rights violation;
8.
Emphasizes that freedom of religion or belief, freedom of opinion and
expression, the right to peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of association
are interdependent, interrelated and mutually reinforcing, and stresses the role that
these rights can play in the fight against all forms of intolerance and of
discrimination based on religion or belief;
9.
Strongly condemns any advocacy of hatred based on religion or belief
that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, whether it
involves the use of print, audiovisual or electronic media or any other means;
10. Expresses concern at the persistence of institutionalized social
intolerance and discrimination practised against many on the grounds of religion or
belief, and emphasizes that legal procedures pertaining to religious or b elief-based
groups and places of worship are not a prerequisite for the exercise of the right to
manifest one’s religion or belief and that such procedures, when legally required at
the national or local level, should be non-discriminatory in order to contribute to the
effective protection of the right of all persons to practise their religion or belief,
either individually or in community with others and in public or private;
11. Recognizes with concern the challenges that persons in vulnerable
situations, including persons deprived of their liberty, refugees, asylum seekers and
internally displaced persons, children, persons belonging to national or ethnic,
religious and linguistic minorities and migrants, as well as women, are facing as
regards their ability to freely exercise their right to freedom of religion or belief;
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