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57. In many countries, religion is exploited for political ends. As illustrated in the report,
discrimination based on religion or belief often emanates from deliberate State policies to
ostracize certain religious or belief communities and to restrict or deny their access to, for
example, health services, public education or public posts. State authorities usually tend to
be more sensitive to the interests of a religious majority community and, as a result,
minority religions or beliefs may find themselves marginalized or discriminated against.
58. The Special Rapporteur recalls that States have the duty to refrain from
discriminating against individuals or groups of individuals based on their religion and
belief (obligation to respect); they are required to prevent such discrimination, including
from non-State actors (obligation to protect); and must take steps to ensure that, in
practice, every person in their territory enjoys all human rights without discrimination of
any kind (obligation to fulfil).
59. In order to implement these obligations, States have several tools at their disposal.
These include the removal of de jure and de facto obstacles to the exercise on an equal
footing of all human rights. In this regard, the training of State officials may constitute an
important measure to ensure that the principle of non-discrimination, including on the
basis of religion or belief, is respected by the State. Monitoring compliance with
anti-discrimination legislation by the private sector and offering quality public education
also seem vital to promote the principle of non-discrimination in society. Furthermore,
legal remedies must be provided to individuals in order to allow them to seek redress
against discrimination based on religion or belief. In addition, States should envisage
protective measures in favour of certain population groups, including religious minorities,
to provide those who do not have sufficient means with equal access to basic services, such
as health care or education.
60. In order to take appropriate measures to remedy persistent inequalities and religious
differentials in relation to all human rights, the Special Rapporteur recommends that
States collect disaggregated data and that they encourage in-depth analyses pertaining to
the socio-economic situation of religious and belief communities. However, she cautions
against improper utilization of these data, which may further cluster the population into
artificial categories and ultimately lead to a more polarized and intolerant society.
61. All human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated.
Consequently, there should not be a different approach between discrimination affecting
the enjoyment of civil and political rights on the one hand, and discrimination affecting the
enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights on the other. As reiterated in several
general comments by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the
principle of non-discrimination in the enjoyment of the rights guaranteed by the Covenant
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is not subject to the rule of the progressive
realization of rights or to the availability of resources. It is immediately and fully
applicable to all the rights guaranteed by the Covenant and encompasses all internationally
prohibited grounds of discrimination.