A/HRC/RES/53/1 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 17 July 2023 Original: English Human Rights Council Fifty-third session 19 June–14 July 2023 Agenda item 1 Organizational and procedural matters Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 12 July 2023 53/1. Countering religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence The Human Rights Council, Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Reaffirming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Reaffirming also the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination based on Religion or Belief, Acknowledging that the exercise of the right to freedom of expression carries with it special duties and responsibilities and that restrictions on this right shall only be such as are provided by law, and in this context ensuring respect for the rights or reputations of others, as stipulated in article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and acknowledging also its article 20, which states that any advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law, Noting with deep concern the rising incidents of desecration of sacred books and places of worship as well as religious symbols, which could constitute incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, Affirming that it is offensive, disrespectful, a clear act of provocation and a manifestation of religious hatred to deliberately and publicly burn the Holy Qur’an or any other holy book with the intent to incite discrimination, hostility or violence, and affirming also that this act shall be prohibited by law, in line with the obligations of States arising from international human rights law, Noting the strong rejection and condemnation of recurring acts of public burning of the Holy Qur’an in some European and other countries, as voiced by States, the SecretaryGeneral, the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, and many others, Taking note in this regard of the report presented by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief to the Human Rights Council in 2021 on countering Islamophobia/anti-Muslim hatred to eliminate discrimination and intolerance based on GE.23-13924(E)