Informal Consultations on draft resolution ‘combating intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatization of, and discrimination, incitement to violence on religion or belief
In 2011, both the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly adopted resolutions calling on states to combat intolerance, negative stereotyping, stigmatization, discrimination, incitement to violence, and violence against individuals based on their religion or belief. The resolutions proposed an action plan consisting of complementary measures to be taken at the national level in policy, law, and practice.
At the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council, hosted by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, country delegates and civil society met to discuss the latest iteration of the draft resolution ‘Combating intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatization of, and discrimination, incitement to violence on religion or belief’.
The latest resolution continues its call for all States to take various actions to combat religious intolerance, including encouraging the creation of collaborative networks to promote dialogue, identifying, and addressing potential areas of tension between members of different religious communities, and training government officials in effective outreach strategies. Specifically, it calls on states to:
- Take measures to prevent discrimination against individuals based on religion or belief in the conduct of public duties.
- Promote religious freedom and pluralism by allowing members of all religious communities to openly manifest their religion and contribute to society on an equal footing.
- Encourage the representation and meaningful participation of individuals of all religions or beliefs in all sectors of society.
- Make a concerted effort to counter religious profiling, which is the use of religion as a criterion in law enforcement procedures such as questioning and searches.
- Implement measures and policies to fully respect and protect places of worship, religious sites, and cemeteries, and take protective measures in cases where they are vulnerable to vandalism or destruction.
The draft report was met with encouragement from all member states; however, the general sentiment arguably was best expressed by the representative from the United Kingdom, who stated that while he was “happy to be here with you all again today, it is with dismay, as religious intolerance continues to be a pressing issue” even more than a decade after the initial resolution was passed.
The resolutions adopted by both the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly in 2011 calling on states to combat intolerance, negative stereotyping, stigmatization, discrimination, incitement to violence, and violence against individuals based on their religion or belief proposed an action plan consisting of complementary measures to be taken at the national level in policy, law, and practice. The latest draft resolution continues to call for these actions, emphasizing the importance of promoting religious freedom and pluralism, encouraging the representation and meaningful participation of individuals of all religions or beliefs in all sectors of society, and countering religious profiling. Despite these efforts, religious intolerance remains a pressing issue, and continued attention and action are necessary to promote a culture of tolerance and respect for human rights and the diversity of religions and beliefs.
