A/HRC/43/48 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 24 August 2020 Original: English Human Rights Council Forty-third session 24 February–20 March 2020 Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Gender-based violence and discrimination in the name of religion or belief Report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief* Summary In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief addresses gender-based violence and discrimination in the name of religion or belief. In a number of States worldwide, religious precepts underlie laws and State-sanctioned practices that constitute violations of the right to non-discrimination of women, girls and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) persons. In other States, claims of religious freedom are being used to roll back and seek exemptions to laws that protect against gender-based violence and discrimination. The Special Rapporteur provides emblematic cases of both these phenomena and their impact on gender equality and freedom of religion or belief worldwide. He explores freedom of religion or belief and non-discrimination as two and mutually reinforcing rights and clarifies the existing international legal framework that governs their intersection. He concludes by emphasizing the responsibility of States to create enabling environments to advance the non-discrimination and freedom of religion of belief rights of women, girls and LGBT+ persons. * The present report was submitted after the deadline so as to include the most recent information. GE.20-11079(E) 