Report on safeguarding freedom of religion or belief for the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Summary

The report highlights the importance of safeguarding the right to freedom of religion or belief for all for the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It focuses on religious or belief minorities as a target group who are at risk of ‘being left behind’, and who have received less attention from policymakers in the field of sustainable development. The Special Rapporteur outlines legal, institutional and policies challenges with regard to the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief by members of minorities around the world; outlines patterns of discrimination and violence; and highlights the interconnectedness of SDG16 on just, peaceful and inclusive societies with other 2030 Agenda goals and targets. To assist States in monitoring of and reporting on inequalities and discrimination and their root causes, the Special Rapporteur encourages States to consider additional draft indicators, with the purpose of discerning progress in protecting the right to freedom or religion or belief and effectively addressing discrimination and violence based on religion or belief. He calls on States to adapt the indicator framework to their own country situations to identify protection gaps and formulate measurable and timebound steps to close such gaps.

Additional information

• Press Release of the report: UN Expert – Religious and belief minorities must not be left behind in push for sustainable development.
• The Special Rapporteur’s statement to the General Assembly (PDF)
• Video presentation of the report to the 75th Session of the General Assembly and the ensuing interactive dialogue (starting from 1:45:25)
• Call for submissions of the report

Submissions received

States

• Algeria
• Argentina
• Brazil
• Cambodia
• Colombia
• Cuba
• Estonia
• Georgia
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary - 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Kazakhstan
• Latvia
• Lebanon
• Mexico
• Netherlands
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Poland
• Russia
• Serbia
• Sierra Leone
• Ukraine - 1 | 2
• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

National Human Rights Institutions

• Bahrain – National Institution for Human Rights
• Nicaragua – Procuradoría para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (PDDH)

Civil Society

• Ahmadiyya Muslim Lawyers Association
• Amnesty International
• ANAJURE - Associação Nacional de Juristas Evangélicos
• ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights & International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief
• All-Party Parliamentary Group - United Copts
• All-Party Parliamentary Group for Pakistani Minorities
• Article 19
• Association for the Advancement of political, cultural and economic Cooperation between Montenegro, the Republic of Serbia and Republika Srpska
• Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation - Pakistan
• Bangladesh Manobadhikar O Poribesh Andolon Foundation
• Barak Human Rights Protection Committee
• Bahá’í International Community
• Birmingham City University
• B'nai B'rith International
• Boat People SOS - Vietnamese Women for Human Rights - The Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ - Hmong United for Justice
• Community Development Association
• Center for Migration, Gender, and Justice & With or Without
• Centre for Policy Alternatives
• C-Fam
• Chin Human Rights Association
• Citizens Against Hate - Development and Justice Initiative - Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights - Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion
• Coalition for Genocide Response
• Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development
• Crimean Human Rights Group
• Christian Solidarity Worldwide - 1 | 2
• European Centre for Law and Justice
• Equal Rights Trust
• Freemuse
• Hindus for Human Rights
• Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust
• Indian American Muslim Council
• Intellectual Muslims Association of Nepal
• Interfaith Encounter Association
• International Christian Concern
• International Committee On Nigeria
• International Foundation for Electoral Systems
• International Human Rights Committee
• International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief - 1 | 2
• Joint CSO Submission
• Jubilee Campaign - 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
• Jubilee Campaign and the Religious Freedom and Liberty Partnership
• MASUM - Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha
• Media Diversity Institute
• Muslim Women Development Trust - Puttalam
• Norwegian Uyghur Committee - Uyghur Human Rights Project - World Uyghur Congress
• Open Doors International
• Quaker United Nations Office
• SAFoRB - South Asia Forum for Freedom of Religion or Belief
• Save the Persecuted Christians
• Stephanie E. Berry
• The Brazilian Center of Studies in Law and Religion
• The Church of Almighty God
• The Danish Institution for Human Rights
• The Duayjai group
• The European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses
• The Heritage Foundation
• The International Legal Forum & The Hague Initiative for International Co-operation
• The Israel Forever Foundation
• The Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights
• The Queer Muslim Project & Global Interfaith Network (GIN-SSOGIE)
• The South Asia Collective
• The World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong
• United Macedonian Diaspora
• Unrepresented Nations and Peoples' Organization
• Women's Action Network Sri Lanka
• World Jewish Congress
• Yazda - Global Yazidi Organization
• Yore Children - 1 | 2 | 3