In more depth

​Links to human rights documents, United Nations and other human rights bodies and to longer articles providing more in depth information about freedom of religion or belief in relation to cross cutting issues. 
x
إشعار هام يتعلق بالسلامة
​أو جماعة دينية أو معتقدية أو شخص أن ينتزع هذه الحقوق من الناس. ومع ذلك، فإن ممارسة هذه الحقوق في بعض الأُطر الوطنية أمر غير قانوني أو مفعم بالمخاطر. لذلك، عند استخدام هذه الموارد، فإنه من الأهمية بمكان معرفة القوانين السارية في الإطار الوطني الخاص بكم والنظر في كيفية ارتباطها بالقانون الدولي. وعند تثقيف الآخرين، يُرجى أن تتذكروا أن الحديث عن حقوق الإنسان بشكل عام وعن حرية الدين أو المعتقد بشكل خاص قد يمثّل خطراً. لذلك يُرجى تكييف الموارد حسب جمهور المتلقين وحسب عوامل الخطر. نوفّر لكم نصوصًا لجميع أفلامنا من أجل تمكينكم من تكييف المحتويات بشكل مناسب.

International conventions and declarations and related documents

If you want to work to promote and defend freedom of religion or belief then it's vital to know your rights. Here you'll find links to the most important international documents describing the right to freedom of religion or belief and associated issues of intolerance and discrimination.  
Universal Declaration of Human Rights  ​(UDHR)
The foundation of human rights, this ground-breaking declaration highlights freedom of religion or belief in article 18.
Other language versions
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ​(ICCPR)
The key international standard that in article 18 protects freedom of religion or belief and in article 27 protects the rights of minorities. ​
Convention on the Rights
​of the Child (CRC) 
Article 14 focuses on the freedom of religion or belief of children and the role of parents in supporting this right. ​
​
General Comment 22 on ICCPR Article 18 
Advice on how to the right to freedom of religion or belief should be interpreted from the Human Rights Committee, which is a non-political UN expert body tasked with monitoring and promoting the rights given in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Other language versions. 
​United Nations Declaration on the elimination of all forms of intolerance and discrimination ​based on religion or belief
This declaration provides more information about what freedom of religion or belief involves focusing on the right to manifest religion, including rights for parents and on protection from discrimination and violence. The right to change your religion is not focused upon in this declaration. ​
United Nations Declaration on the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities
This declaration focuses on the duty of states to protect the existence of minorities and their right to promote and enjoy their culture, religion and language without discrimination. 
​
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
This declaration focuses upon the rights of indigenous peoples and in article 12 on the right to manifest, practice, develop and teach their spiritual and religious traditions, customs and ceremonies and to maintain, protect, and have access in privacy to their religious and cultural sites. Article 25 highlights their right to maintain and strengthen their distinctive spiritual relationship with traditional lands and waters .
Vienna concluding document 
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSSE 1989). This document applies to the 57 participating states in the OSSE. In paragraphs 16-16.11 the document outlines how the right to freedom of religion or belief will be respected, protected and promoted by those states. ​
Digest of International Standards on Freedom of Religion or Belief  
A useful collection of global and regional human rights texts. 
Rabat Plan of Action on the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence
The OHCHR organized a series of expert workshops on the prohibition of incitement to national, racial or religious hatred. Here you'll find more information including links to the report and the Plan of Action itself in a number of languages. 
Global declarations on Freedom of Religion or Belief 
Published by three Christian bodies, this document collects declarations and statements on Freedom of Religion or Belief from a range of bodies/faith communities. Sources are predominantly but not exclusively Christian, including statements from the Vatican, the World Council of Churches and the World Evangelical Alliance.  

United Nations human rights bodies, procedures and initiatives

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
The OHCHR is the UN body mandated by the international community to work to promote and protect all human rights. The High Commissioner for Human Rights is the UN's highest ranking human rights official. The OHCHR has a variety of ways of working that are important for faith/belief communities and civil society to know of and relate to, including the following bodies and reference materials. ​
Human Rights Council
The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system. Forty seven States sit on the Council which is responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe. The Human Rights Council has several ways of working including appointing 'special procedures' and the Universal Periodic Review.
The Universal Periodic Review
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a review of the human rights records of all UN Member States in which each country is reviewed every four and a half years. The UPR is a State-driven process, under the auspices of the Human Rights Council, which provides the opportunity for each State to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries and to fulfil their human rights obligations. The UPR is designed to ensure equal treatment for every country when their human rights situations are assessed.
Human Rights Committee 
The Human Rights Committee is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by State who have signed and ratified the covenant.​
​Special procedures
The special procedures of the Human Rights Council are independent human rights experts with mandates to report and advise on human rights from a thematic or country-specific perspective.
​
Special rapporteur on Freedom ​of religion or belief
The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief is one of the special procedures - an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to identify existing and emerging obstacles to the enjoyment of the right to freedom of religion or belief and present recommendations on ways and means to overcome such obstacles.
Digest of excerpts from reports of special rapporteurs for freedom of religion or belief, 1986-2011
Thematic reports, 2010-2016
Two useful collections of texts from the special rapporteurs on a wide range of thematic areas such as the right to adopt/change religion, places of worship and vulnerable groups. An easy way to find useful quotes from the special rapporteur for your advocacy or educational work.  
United Nations Faith for Rights Initiative 
This initiative provides space for a cross-disciplinary reflection on the deep, and mutually enriching, connections between religions and human rights. The objective is to foster the development of peaceful societies, which uphold human dignity and equality for all and where diversity is not just tolerated but fully respected and celebrated. The initiative is based on the Beirut Declaration and its 18 commitments on “Faith for Rights”, through which theistic, non-theistic, atheistic and other believers have articulated how “faith” can stand up for “rights” more effectively so that both enhance each other. 

Regional human rights systems and documents

In addition to the human rights systems of the United Nations, several regions of the world have regional human rights systems that help to bring human rights protection closer to rights holders. Learn about them on the links below.
Some of these mechanisms are well developed, others are in their infancy. Please note that regional level human rights conventions do not always live up to the standards of international law as given in UN conventions - always compare the rights given in regional treaties with international norms. 
Another document/initiative of interest is the Marrakesh Declaration, an initiative of the Government of Morocco that focuses on promoting the rights of religious minorities in Muslim majority countries. 

In addition to the agreements and mechanisms above, the following two international agreements may be of interest. They do not live up to international standards in relation to freedom of religion or belief and there are no mechanisms (commissions or courts) connected to these documents. 
Arab Charter on Human Rights 
Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam 

Cross-cutting and thematic issues

Freedom of religion or belief it's closely interlinked and interdependent with many other human rights, as well as being important for peace, development and democracy. Here  you'll find a selection of articles and reports on FORB and cross-cutting issues like freedom of expression, women's rights, peace, sustainable development and business.  
Don't forget to look at the digests of thematic reports from the special rapporteurs - they cover a wide range of topics: digest for 1986-2011,  compilation 2010-2016.
Hate Speech Explained
In this toolkit, ARTICLE 19 provides a guide to identifying ’hate speech‘ and how effectively counter it, while protecting the rights to freedom of expression and equality. It responds to a growing demand for clear guidance on identifying “hate
speech,” and for responding to the challenges ‘hate speech’ poses within a human rights framework. ​

Respecting Rights? Measuring the world's blasphemy laws
This report examines and compares the content of laws blasphemy laws worldwide through the lens of human rights. The laws examined prohibit or criminalize the expression of opinions deemed “blasphemous,” often with serious, criminal penalties. 
Published by United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. 

Implementing UN Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18 - A framework for inclusivity, pluralism and diversity 
Human Rights Council (HRC) Resolution 16/18 addresses “combating intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatisation of, and discrimination, incitement to violence, and violence against persons based on religion or belief.” It commits States to address religious intolerance through the promotion of freedom of expression, freedom of religion or belief, and non-discrimination. This briefing, published by ARTICLE 19 provides guidance for states on implementing Res 16/18, particularly in relation to blasphemy and censorship. 
Apostacy means leaving a religion or belief. 
Which countries outlaw apostasy and blasphemy
A short article with maps identifying the countries concerned from the Pew Research Center. 
Laws Criminalizing Apostasy in Selected Jurisdictions, Law Library of Congress 
Provides a detailed and comparative description of apostacy laws in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Promoting religious freedom: a corporate social responsibility 
A report from the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation highlighting how making religious freedom a part of corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) can produce direct, positive benefits to company operations, improve economic markets, and lead to lasting changes in communities where the human right of religious freedom traditionally lacks roots. ​You can find further resources on the topic on the research pages of the organisations website. 
Women and freedom of religion or belief: Synergies and opportunities
There is a common misperception that women’s rights to equality and FORB are clashing rights, not least because States often place religiously phrased reservations on ratification of international treaties in relation to women's rights. This report from the US Commission on International religious Freedom explores the relationship between women's rights and FORB - identifying synergies and opportunities. 
Religious freedom and peacebuilding: May I introduce you two? 
This article by researcher Daniel Philpott analyses and highlights key differences between religious actors that contribute to conflict and that contribute to peacebuilding. A measure of distance between the religious group and the state and a political theology of freedom of religion or belief for all characterise the peacemakers.
FORB and sustainable development 
An exploration of how FORB links to the 17 sustainable development goals from the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation. 

Faith, freedom and change
A report from the Swedish Mission Council that highlights the contribution of FORB to achieving other human rights, peace, stability, democracy and social and economic development. 
Conscientious objection to military service
This UN publication is intended as a guide for State officials responsible for implementing laws on conscientious objection, as well as Members of Parliament and Government officials involved in drafting laws on the subject. It's also intended to guide individuals who may be called to perform military service and are unsure of what their rights are.
Toledo Guiding Principles on education about religions and beliefs in public schools
Aimed at both legislators and schools, this handbook offers guidance on preparing curricula for teaching about religions and beliefs, preferred procedures for assuring fairness in the development of curricula, and standards for how they could be implemented. Developed by the ODIHR Advisory Council of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief in co-operation with education experts and available in English and Spanish.
Unless otherwise stated all photographs used are generic, with a creative commons license.
info@forb-learning.org
Copyright SMC 2018
All rights reserved