A/HRC/19/60 Rapporteurs looked at the strategic response to hate speech, which should include efforts to educate about cultural differences, promote diversity, empower and give a voice to minorities. An example of this is through the support of community media and its representation in mainstream media. In this context, the Special Rapporteur would like to refer to the Camden Principles on Freedom of Expression and Equality, 7 which recommend a public policy framework for pluralism and equality, for example, by making an equitable allocation of resources, including broadcasting frequencies, among public service, commercial and community media, so that together they represent the full range of cultures, communities and opinions in society. III. Freedom of religion or belief and recognition issues A. Introductory remarks 20. “Recognition” is one of the key terms regularly referred to in debates on freedom of religion or belief. On closer examination, however, it turns out that this concept harbours a variety of meanings which should be kept clearly distinct in order to avoid confusion. Striving for conceptual clarity on the different meanings of “recognition” in the field of freedom of religion or belief is not a purely academic enterprise. Indeed, in dealing with practical cases, the Special Rapporteur is often confronted with widespread misunderstanding about the concept of recognition and the role of the State in this regard. Such misunderstandings, however, can have a direct negative impact on the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief, since they may seriously obscure the applicable international human rights obligations of States. 21. In this chapter, the Special Rapporteur focuses on three different meanings of recognition which relate to different levels of the conceptualization and implementation of freedom of religion or belief. 22. The first and most fundamental meaning is “recognition” in the sense of the due respect for the status of all human beings as rights holders in the area of freedom of religion or belief, a status finally deriving from the inherent dignity of all members of the human family. 23. The second meaning relates to the necessary provision by the State of a legal personality status, which religious or belief communities need in order to be able to take collective legal actions. Obtaining such a legal status typically requires undergoing some administrative “recognition procedures”, which should be designed so as not to pose undue obstacles, either de jure or de facto, to the accessibility of the required legal personality status. 24. The third meaning concerns privileged status positions, often connected with practical advantages such as tax exemption and financial subsidies, which certain religious or belief communities enjoy in many States. In this context, the term “recognition” is also typically used. 25. All of the above three dimensions are relevant for the implementation of the right to freedom of religion or belief. However, they have different implications for the role of the State in the following regard. While the status of all human beings as rights holders cannot 7 8 Article 19: Global Campaign for Free Expression (London, 2009). Available from www.article19.org/resources.php/resource/1214/en/camden-principles-on-freedom-of-expressionand-equality

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