A/72/155 that “freedom of religion or belief can never serve as a justification for violations of the human rights of women and girls”. 41 55. Fundamentalists sometimes seek to advance their agenda or to shield themselves from scrutiny by deploying the language of human rights and religious freedom. The Special Rapporteur stresses the importance of article 30 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as of common article 5 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which warn that nothing in those instruments shall be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms recognized therein. B. Analysis of fundamentalism and extremism in the United Nations system 56. The United Nations human rights system has commented sporadically on issues of fundamentalism and extremism and a more systematic approach should be developed. However, some important statements have been made. 57. In 2016, in his report submitted to the Human Rights Council at its thirtysecond session, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association addressed the impact of fundamentalism on the rights within his mandate. He noted that “religious fundamentalism often has a disproportionate impact upon the assembly and association rights of women”. In particular, he cited pressure placed by the Catholic Church and evangelical movements on women’s organizations in Latin America working for reproductive rights and health (see A/HRC/32/36, para. 62). 58. Former Secretary-General Kofi Annan noted, in a report submitted to the General Assembly at its sixty-first session, in 2006, that “the politicization of culture in the form of religious ‘fundamentalisms’ in diverse ... religious contexts has become a serious challenge to efforts to secure women’s human rights” (see A/61/122/Add.1, para. 81). 59. In the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the World Conference on Human Rights “stresse[d] the importance of … the eradication of any conflicts which may arise between the rights of women and the harmful effects of … religious extremism” (see A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III, part II, para. 38). 60. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, in its concluding comments on the combined initial and second reports of Tunisia, noted that “the promotion of women’s rights was the best safeguard against extremist … movements” (see A/50/38, para. 262). III. Fundamentalism, extremism and women’s cultural rights: a survey 61. Across most areas of the Special Rapporteur ’s mandate, fundamentalism and extremism give rise to widespread abuses of women’s cultural rights. The examples given below should be seen as part of a broader systematic assault on human rights. __________________ 41 17-12043 A/68/290, para. 30. 13/23