EUROPEAN UNION Permanent Delegation to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva FORUM ON MINORITY ISSUES: Beyond Freedom of Religion or Belief: Guaranteeing the rights of religious minorities 6 th session, 26-27 November 2013 Item 3 — Protection of the existence of and prevention of violence against religious minorities EU Intervention Madam President, Following my previous intervention, I would now like to focus on the issue of violence against religious minorities and its prevention. The EU strongly condemns recent attacks against persons belonging to religious minorities in several countries. We welcome recommendations no. 49, 50, 51 and 52, as we believe that States must exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and punish acts of violence against persons based on their religion or belief. Violence and the threat of violence are widespread phenomena that have to be addressed. Immediate accountability of perpetrators of such violence must be established. We strongly encourage state and other influential actors in a society, whether religious or not, to speak out against acts of violence and to publicly denounce such acts at the highest level, particularly in cases where officials actively encourage or condone attacks on individuals or communities and property, including places of worship or meeting, or historical religious sites. Dissuasive penalties should be in place to prevent incitement to violence or hatred, in addition to recommendation no. 23. Furthermore, States and the international community should protest when officials or other influential actors spread inflammatory messages about the holders of certain religious or other beliefs.