2013 6th session of the Forum on Minority Issues of the UN Council on Human Rights, "The next steps in ensuring freedom of religion and belief: the guarantee of religious rights of minorities" Main ideas of the speech of O.Koroliova the Deputy Director of the Department of Culture of the government of the Russian Federation Session 2. Legal basis and legal concepts. Madam Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak. On December the 12th, 2013, our country will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Basic Law - the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the provisions of which guarantee the freedom of conscience and religion to everyone (Article 28), as well as equality of rights and freedoms for every person and citizen, regardless of religion or beliefs (Article 19). These principles have become the main direction of the state policy in the field of protection of freedom of conscience and religion and relations with religious associations. Over the years, religious groups in Russia have become an essential part of civil society and have gained the opportunity to participation in public life. Today in Russia there are more than 26 thousand religious organizations registered that represent more than 60 different faiths and denominations, and their number is increasing annually. In the first 9 months of 2013 alone the Ministry of Justice of Russia and its territorial bodies have registered 872 new religious organization.