United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland Statement UN Forum on Minority Issues: Beyond freedom of religion or belief 26 November 2013 The freedom of religion or belief is one of the United Kingdom's most important human rights priorities. Therefore the UK supports this forum’s focus on the plight of religious minorities. Threats to the right to freedom of religion or belief, including the right to change one’s religion, or to have no belief, continue to have a disproportionate effect on religious minorities. Even where minorities are deeply rooted in their societies and have adopted local customs, there have been incidents of religious minorities being ostracised and discriminated against on the grounds of their different religion or belief. In an increasingly globally connected world, minorities are sometimes subjected to group punishment for the alleged crimes, connections or connotations of their coreligionists in other countries. We firmly believe that the more tolerant a country is towards different religious groups, the more stable, fair and confident it is likely to be. Last year the UK, together with Canada, hosted an international conference focused on combating religious intolerance, protecting the human rights of minorities and promoting pluralism in society. We believe that States have the primary responsibility to address any violations of religious freedom and to ensure non-discrimination before the law. We also believe that other actors, such as religious leaders, can play a significant role in promoting the rights of minorities, especially in cases where leaders from the majority faith speak out on behalf of religious minorities in that same county.