A/HRC/19/60/Add.1
proactive State intervention. From a human rights perspective, it is very clear that the
possibility of pursuing missionary activities falls within the scope of freedom of
religion or belief, which naturally includes the right to publicly disseminate one’s
beliefs and to try to persuade others. It is equally clear, however, that situations of
structural vulnerability must never be exploited in the context of missionary activities.
The State of Paraguay is under the obligation to do its utmost to reduce related risks,
for instance by providing information, mediation and possibilities of judicial redress
and outreach, especially to the indigenous population.
62.
Attention should also be paid to situations of regional de facto monopolies of
denominational schools, which imply the structural risk that freedom of religion or
belief, especially for students and parents from minorities, are infringed upon.
Moreover, the Special Rapporteur encourages the Government to develop further its
anti-discrimination legislation, which would constitute a crucial step to protect human
rights against possible violations from third parties. The current draft law on all
forms of discrimination received the express support from the Committee on the
Rights of the Child (CRC/C/PRY/CO/3, para. 25) and within the context of the
universal periodic review (A/HRC/17/18, para. 85.26). Also regarding the protection of
rights from possible infringements by third parties, the reported acts of intimidation
or harassment in the context of the public discussions about the Pedagogical
Regulating Framework should be rejected. All parties should be able to exercise all
human rights, including freedom of opinion and expression and freedom of religion or
belief, without pressure of any kind.
63.
The third level of State obligation concerns the promotion of a human rights
culture in society. Naturally, human rights education, which has the purpose of
dispelling stereotypes against religious or belief minorities, but also against other
minorities and women, plays a major role in this regard. Another possibility of
promoting a human rights culture is by facilitating communication between religions
and beliefs. The Permanent Interreligious Dialogue Forum organized by the Ministry
of Education and Culture is a positive example in this regard.
64.
Against the background of these general observations, the Special Rapporteur
encourages the Government:
(a)
To ensure that the principle of non-discrimination on the grounds of
religion or belief is implemented in a thorough and systematic manner, including in
questions of financial subsidies for denominational institutions, such as universities
run by one particular religious community;
(b)
To reconsider and reform the existing requirement of annual registration
of non-Catholic religious or philosophical communities; a registration procedure, if
deemed necessary, should be rapid, transparent and non-discriminatory, and it should
also be clear that registration does not affect the enjoyment of freedom of religion or
belief as such;
(c)
To continue to support the Permanent Interreligious Dialogue Forum
while ensuring the open, transparent participation of all interested groups and sectors
of society, including indigenous peoples, as well as appropriate awareness-raising
among the communities concerned about its work and operations;
(d)
To pay systematic attention to possible regional de facto monopolies of
denominational schools run by one particular religious community, especially in rural
areas with a lack of public, non-denominational schools. While appreciating the
positive contributions of denominational schools, the Government should at the same
time ensure, by means of appropriate regulations, that students are not de facto urged
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