A/RES/50/183
Page 2
Reaffirming the call of the World Conference on Human Rights for all
Governments to take all appropriate measures in compliance with their
international obligations and with due regard to their respective legal
systems to counter intolerance and related violence based on religion or
belief, including practices of discrimination against women and the
desecration of religious sites, recognizing that every individual has the
right to freedom of thought, conscience, expression and religion, 2/
Recalling that the World Conference on Human Rights recognized that the
process of promoting and protecting human rights should be conducted in
conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter and international
law, 3/
Calling upon all Governments to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur of
the Commission on Human Rights on religious intolerance to enable him to carry
out his mandate fully,
Recognizing that it is desirable to enhance the promotional and public
information activities of the United Nations in matters relating to freedom of
religion or belief and that both Governments and non-governmental
organizations have an important role to play in this domain,
Emphasizing that non-governmental organizations and religious bodies and
groups at every level have an important role to play in the promotion of
tolerance and the protection of freedom of religion or belief,
Conscious of the importance of education in ensuring tolerance of
religion and belief,
Welcoming the inclusion of events relating to tolerance and religious
diversity among the activities undertaken during the United Nations Year for
Tolerance,
Alarmed that serious instances of intolerance and discrimination on the
grounds of religion or belief, including acts of violence, intimidation and
coercion motivated by religious extremism, occur in many parts of the world
and threaten the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Deeply concerned that, as reported by the Special Rapporteur, the rights
violated on religious grounds include the right to life, the right to physical
integrity and to liberty and security of person, the right to freedom of
expression, the right not to be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment, and the right not to be arbitrarily
arrested or detained,
Believing that further efforts are therefore required to promote and
protect the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief and
to eliminate all forms of hatred, intolerance and discrimination based on
religion or belief,
2/
See A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III, sect. II, para. 22.
3/
Ibid., sect. I, para. 7.
/...