A/RES/68/170 Freedom of religion or belief Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in Durban, South Africa, from 31 August to 8 September 2001, as well as at the Durban Review Conference, held in Geneva from 20 to 24 April 2009, Recalling that States have the primary responsibility to promote and protect human rights, including the human rights of persons belonging to religious minorities, including their right to exercise their religion or belief freely, Concerned that official authorities sometimes tolerate or encourage acts of violence, or credible threats of violence, against persons belonging to religious communities and religious minorities, Concerned also at the increasing number of laws and regulations that limit the freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief and at the implementation of existing laws in a discriminatory manner, Convinced of the need to address the rise in various parts of the world of religious extremism that affects the rights of individuals, the situations of violence and discrimination that affect many women and other individuals on the basis or in the name of religion or belief or in accordance with cultural and traditional practices and the misuse of religion or belief for ends inconsistent with the principles set out in the Charter of the United Nations and in other relevant instruments of the United Nations, Seriously concerned about all attacks on religious places, sites and shrines in violation of international law, in particular human rights and humanitarian law, including any deliberate destruction of relics and monuments, Emphasizing that States, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, religious bodies, the media and civil society as a whole have an important role to play in promoting tolerance and respect for religious and cultural diversity and in the universal promotion and protection of human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, Underlining the importance of education, including human rights education, in the promotion of tolerance, which involves the acceptance by the public of, and its respect for, diversity, including with regard to religious expression, and underlining also the fact that education, in particular at school, should contribute in a meaningful way to promoting tolerance and the elimination of discrimination based on religion or belief, Stresses that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience 1. and religion or belief, which includes the freedom to have or not to have, or to adopt, a religion or belief of one’s own choice and the freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest one’s religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance, including the right to change one’s religion or belief; Also stresses that the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion 2. or belief applies equally to all persons, regardless of their religion or belief and without any discrimination as to their equal protection by the law; Strongly condemns violations of freedom of thought, conscience and 3. religion or belief as well as all forms of intolerance, discrimination and violence based on religion or belief; Recognizes with deep concern the overall rise in instances of 4. discrimination, intolerance and violence, regardless of the actors, directed against 2/6