Human Rights Committee general comment 22
Para. 5: “Article 18.2 bars coercion that would impair the right to have or adopt a religion or belief, including the use of threat of
physical force or penal sanctions to compel believers or non-believers to adhere to their religious beliefs and congregations, to recant
their religion or belief or to convert. Policies or practices having the same intention or effect, such as, for example, those restricting
access to education, medical care, employment or the rights guaranteed by article 25 and other provisions of the Covenant, are
similarly inconsistent with article 18.2. The same protection is enjoyed by holders of all beliefs of a non-religious nature.”
The right to manifest
one’s religion or belief
ICCPR
Art. 18 (1): “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom […] either
individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice
and teaching.”
Art. 18 (3): “Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are
necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.”
1981 Declaration of the General Assembly
Art. 1 (1): “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have a
religion or whatever belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to
manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.”
Art. 1 (3): “Freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are
necessary to protect public safety, order, health or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.”
Human Rights Committee general comment 22
Freedom to worship
1981 Declaration of the General Assembly
Art. 6 (a): The right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief includes the freedom, “To worship or assemble in connection
with a religion or belief […];”.
E/CN.4/2006/5
page 25
Para. 4: “The freedom to manifest religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching encompasses a broad range of acts.
The concept of worship extends to ritual and ceremonial acts giving direct expression to belief, as well as various practices integral to
such acts, including the building of places of worship, the use of ritual formulae, and objects, the display of symbols, and the
observance of holidays and days of rest. The observance and practice of religion or belief may include not only ceremonial acts but
also such customs as the observance of dietary regulations, the wearing of distinctive clothing or head coverings, participation in rituals
associated with certain stages of life, and the use of a particular language, customarily spoken by a group. In addition, the practice and
teaching of religion or belief includes acts integral to the conduct by religious groups of their basic affairs, such as freedom to choose
their religious leaders, priests and teachers, the freedom to establish seminaries or religious schools and the freedom to prepare and
distribute religious texts or publications.”