A/HRC/19/60/Add.1
to attend religious instruction or religious practices against their will or that of their
parents;
(e)
To critically review existing regulations concerning official ceremonies in
the police, the military and other State institutions with a view to ensure that no
member of those institutions is urged, de jure or de facto, to attend religious practices
against his or her will;
(f)
To pay more systematic attention to the structural vulnerability of
members of indigenous communities, especially in rural areas. Even though freedom
of religion or belief naturally includes the freedom to engage in missionary activities,
the Government should ensure – by means of clarification, mediation, judicial redress
and other appropriate measures – that indigenous individuals are not pressured to
attend religious ceremonies or to otherwise engage in religious activities as a de facto
precondition for job opportunities or for receiving important material benefits;
(g)
To continue to recognize the right to conscientious objection in law and
in practice; this includes the independent functioning of the newly established
National Council on Conscientious Objection, ensuring fair and transparent
procedures while maintaining non-punitive principles for alternative non-military
civilian service.
65.
The Special Rapporteur appreciates the initiation of the Human Rights
National Plan of Action and of the National Plan of Action on Human Rights
Education. In general, national plans of action provide an excellent opportunity to
bring together all interested stakeholders with a view to critically identifying common
objectives and existing deficiencies, as well as strengthening implementation
mechanisms. This will also provide space for discussing issues related to the freedom
of religion or belief. Obviously, there is still much room for improvement with regard
to more effective implementation of human rights, particularly in terms of nondiscrimination. At the same time, the openness witnessed by the Special Rapporteur at
both the governmental and social levels induces him to believe that the national plans
of action will prove a success.
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