A/75/385
and the elimination of discrimination based on religion or belief. 7 This includes indicators to
assess whether laws (structural indicators) and policies and mechanisms (process indicators)
are resulting (outcome indicators) in respect for freedom of religion or belief and the
empowerment of religious or belief minorities to assert and claim the full range of their
fundamental rights and freedoms. By facilitating systematic analysis on marginalized groups,
these indicators can help towards “leaving no one behind.”
II. Activities of the Special Rapporteur
6.
Between mid-July 2019 and mid-July 2020, the Special Rapporteur issued 52
communications addressed to state and non-state actors to express concern about persecution
of members of religious minorities; discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation
and gender identity; incitement to violence and discrimination; convictions on blasphemy
and apostasy charges; arbitrary arrests and detentions; enforced disappearances; violations of
due process rights; discriminatory application of counter-terrorism legislation
disproportionately affecting persons belonging to religious or belief minorities; excessive use
of force by law enforcement; and discrimination based on religion or belief in the context of
the COVID-19 pandemic. The Special Rapporteur undertook several activities, in partnership
with UN agencies and civil society organisations, to follow up on his report to the 74th session
of the UN General Assembly on combatting antisemitism (A/74/358), and welcomes the
appointment of a high-level focal point on antisemitism by the Secretary-General in response
to the recommendation contained in the Special Rapporteur’s report. He took part in two
rounds of online consultations with Uzbekistan on a draft Law on freedom of conscience and
religious organizations. The Special Rapporteur attended meetings of the International
Contact Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief and the International Religious Freedom
Alliance as an observer and continued to engage with a variety of actors promoting freedom
of religion or belief and human rights.
III. Methodology
7.
The Special Rapporteur invited civil society, faith-based actors, States, national
human rights institutions and other stakeholders to submit information relating to freedom of
religion or belief and the achievement of SDG-16 which calls on States to “promote peaceful
and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build
effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.” The Special Rapporteur
received over 120 submissions from civil society and 21 from States, many of which are cited
in the present report. In response to submissions detailing discrimination based on religion
or belief, and consequences of such discrimination, the Special Rapporteur expanded the
focus of his report beyond SDG-16 to reflect the relevance of eliminating discrimination
based on religion or belief for a broader range of SDGs and their core targets. 8 Space does
not permit addressing every relevant SDG and target; attention is directed towards an
illustrative set of goals and targets that implicates the situation of religious or belief minorities
who are at risk of being left behind.
IV. International legal framework
8.
The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion in international law is farreaching. It protects, without discrimination, the right to have or to adopt or to change a
religion or belief of one’s choice; unconditional freedom from coercion; the right to manifest
one’s religion or belief, either individually or in community with others; and the liberty of
parents and guardians to provide a religious and moral education for their children in
7
8
Many have noted that current indicators are largely insufficient to track progress in eliminating
discriminatory laws, policies and practices, see A/HRC/39/51 para 57.
Each SDG has between 5 to 20 targets. Each of these targets has indicators to measure progress
toward implementation of the targets. See, A/RES/71/313.
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