The human right of freedom of religion or belief is enshrined in several core human rights treaties as well as in the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief. It holds an important place on the agenda of the Human Rights Council, its mechanisms, treaty bodies and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief has been especially instrumental in promoting the adoption of measures to ensure the protection of this right.
In recent years, worrying trends have become evident, showing a stark discrepancy between the human rights commitments undertaken by countries and their actual implementation. This is confirmed in a recent study by the Washington-based Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, which reveals that approximately 70% of the world’s population lives in countries with high restrictions on religious beliefs and practices, the brunt of which often falls on religious minorities. Additionally, more than 2.2 billion people, nearly a third of the world’s total population, live in countries where either government restrictions on religion or social hostilities involving religion rose substantially between mid-2006 and mid-2009.
Against this background, a panel of policy makers, practitioners and academics will aim at leading an open dialogue on the protection of the freedom of religion or belief and possible additional efforts the UN’s human rights system could undertake to foster its universal enjoyment.

The Mission of Austria would like to cordially invite you to a side event at the margin of the upcoming High Level Segment of the Human Rights Council to discuss the protection and promotion of the right to freedom of religion or belief.

Programme

Opening Remarks
Wolfgang Waldner, State Secretary for European and International Affairs of Austria
      
Brian Grim, Senior Researcher, Director of Cross-National Data, Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life

Jane Connors, Chief of the Special Procedures Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Andrew Clapham, Professor, International Law, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies and Director, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

Moderator
Christian Strohal, Permanent Representative of Austria to the UN in Geneva

Room XXIII, Palais des Nations, Avenue de la Paix 14,  1202 Geneva
If you do not have a badge for the Palais des Nations, kindly RSVP to: brigitte.lendl@bmeia.gv.at until Friday, 24, 3 PM at the latest.
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