A/69/261 manifest one’s religion or belief in the workplace, if deemed necessary, must always be specific and narrowly defined; they must furthermore be clearly needed to pursue a legitimate purpose, as well as proportionate to the said purpose. While these requirements apply broadly to both public and private employment, one should bear in mind that religious institutions constitute a special case. As their raison d’être and corporate identity are religiously defined, employment policies of religious institutions may fall within the scope of freedom of religion or belief, which also includes a corporate dimension. 69. Under freedom of religion or belief, States have a formal responsibility to prevent and eliminate all forms of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief, including in the workplace. Their responsibility goes far beyond ensuring non-discrimination in employment within State institutions; they must also combat discrimination within the larger society, including as regards employment in the private sector. Other stakeholders — companies, trade unions, religious communities, civil society organizations — are also encouraged to use their potential to contribute to a climate of tolerance and to an appreciation of the diversity of religion or belief in the workplace. 70. Combating discrimination requires a comprehensive approach of tackling both direct and indirect forms of discrimination based on religion or belief. Whereas direct discrimination can typically be identified on the surface, indirect discrimination often remains hidden under “neutral” rules which, on the surface, affect all staff members equally. It may be useful to mandate specific monitoring bodies with the task of gathering relevant data in order to detect indirect discrimination. Moreover, eliminating indirect discrimination may require measures of “reasonable accommodation”. At the level of specific institutions, a culture of trustful and respectful communication is needed in order to identify the specific needs of persons belonging to religious or belief minorities. 71. The enshrinement of the principle of reasonable accommodation in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities should serve as an entry point for discussing the role of similar measures in other areas of combating discrimination, including on the grounds of religion or belief. Policies of eliminating discrimination cannot be fully effective unless they also contemplate measures of reasonable accommodation. 72. Against a widespread misunderstanding, the purpose of reasonable accommodation is not to “privilege” religious or belief-related minorities, at the expense of the principle of equality. One should bear in mind that in the context of human rights, equality must always be conceived of as a diversity-friendly equality, which is the opposite of “sameness” or uniformity. From the perspective of a diversity-friendly, complex and substantive equality, measures of reasonable accommodation should be appreciated as instruments of translating the principle of equality into different social contexts. In order to find appropriate practical solutions in this area, public and private employers require training and advice which should be provided by the State. 73. Against this background, the Special Rapporteur formulates the following recommendations. 14-58756 21/23