A/80/205 24. It is out of fear of such insecurity that many, understandably, avoid registering with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or with other relevant authorities, 37 and other shelter is sought out of desperation. 25. Recognition of the need to address religious and belief diversity, however, is not without precedent. The work of UNHCR with the Rohingya in Bangladesh has included religious engagement, namely working with imams and female religious teachers across camps in discussing community concerns, conducting awarenessraising activities and offering leadership training, 38 with the objective of reducing “the gap between faith leaders and humanitarian actors” and building trust. 39 Such initiatives are also focused on strengthening the inclusive participation of religious minority groups in such settings. 26. Most camps lack facilities for practices such as prayer or rites such as burials. Many of the approximately 30 State-run reception and accommodation centres in Greece lack officially designated prayer areas, so people gather to pray informally. Muslim migrants who perished while attempting to reach Greece by sea have, in some cases, been buried in Muslim cemeteries in northern Greece, while in other cases, they have been buried in informal areas without following religious rites and with poorly marked graves. Several informal graveyards for deceased migrants exist, but they have become overgrown and lack proper markings. 40 27. States’ human rights obligations, including those relating to freedom of religion or belief, continue to apply in toto in all refugee camps, internally displaced person camps and asylum centres that fall under their jurisdiction. All persons in such locations, regardless of their status, continue to enjoy the non-derogable right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion in a manner free from coercion. Restrictions on the freedom to manifest their religion or belief in such circumstances must comply with the strict criteria established in article 18 (3) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 28. The context of increased threats and vulnerabilities faced by individuals in refugee camps, internally displaced person camps and asylum centres bears heavily upon States’ positive obligations to prevent, protect against, investigate, prosecute and punish acts of violence, especially those motivated by the religion or belief of victims or perpetrators. The Human Rights Committee has asserted that the duty to protect this right requires States Parties to the Covenant “to take special measures of protection towards persons in vulnerable situations whose lives have been placed at particular risk because of specific threats or pre-existing patterns of violence”, including members of ethnic and religious minorities, displaced persons, asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons. 41 Furthermore, it has clarified that a heightened duty to protect the right to life also applies to individuals “quartered in liberty-restricting State-run facilities, such as … refugee camps and camps for internally displaced persons”. 42 The protection of the right to life in those __________________ 37 38 39 40 41 42 8/23 See www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/religion/cfis/cfi -ga80/subm-freedomreligion-belief-cso-3-adf-international.docx and www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/ issues/religion/cfis/cfi-ga80/subm-freedom-religion-belief-cso-10-european-centre-lawjustice.docx. See www.reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/rohingya-refugee-response-bangladesh-communitybased-protection-factsheet-31-december-2022. See www.unhcr.org/media/strengthening-engagement-between-faith-leaders-and-humanitarianactors. Confidential submission. CCPR/C/GC/36, para. 23. Ibid., para. 25. 25-11829

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