A/79/182 leaders and actors, and religious and belief communities and minorities, to ensure that religious or belief fractures are not introduced in order to fuel conflicts, let alone as a justification for the conflict itself. 120 71. The Plan of Action for Religious Leaders and Actors to Prevent Incitement to Violence that Could Lead to Atrocity Crimes captures this aspect. The Plan includes a call on such leaders and actors to contribute to preventing, strengthening and building peaceful, inclusive and just societies, and to do so through respecting, protecting and promoting human rights. Targets of the Plan include standing in support of others, building bridges between communities, reinforcing positive messages in “religious messages”, contributing to conflict prevention and conflict transformation processes, addressing long-standing grievances through community engagement, establishing networks of interreligious leaders and actors to address violations that are occurring in the name of religion, and setting up coalitions between such actors to coordinate actions. 121 72. Security Council members have recognized that religious representatives, leaders and actors can play an important pacifying role in conflict situations, as well as that trust and understanding between communities can be built when freedom of religion is respected. 122 C. Freedom of religion or belief in conflict transformation and transitional justice 73. Positive speech offers a healing tool for reconciliation and peacebuilding in hearts and minds. 123 74. The obligation of ensuring that minorities are consulted in all matters that concern them is embedded in minority rights standards. This obligation includes having the voice of those religious or belief minorities who have been deeply and specifically targeted present at the peace table, in transitional justice and in building a new future in the aftermath of conflict. A freedom of religion or belief approach often encourages engagement with groups that may be disproportionately affected by conflict, such as Indigenous women and religious minorities. The inclusion of such groups in peace negotiations can significantly enrich these processes and help bolster sustainable peace and security. 124 75. The Security Council has encouraged the Secretary-General to carry out and include best practices “on participation of religious groups, institutions and leaders, including women, as well as local communities, in the mediation of peace agreements and their implementation, in initiatives directed to conflict prevention, resolution, reconciliation, reconstruction, peacebuilding and in addressing the root causes of conflict”. 125 __________________ 120 121 122 123 124 125 18/22 One example is the role of members of the “interreligious roundtable” in Sri Lanka in sharing interfaith messages of peace and tolerance in the context of the Aragalaya protests in 2020. See Search for Common Ground, “Freedom of religion and belief roundt ables”. Plan of Action for Religious Leaders and Actors to Prevent Incitement to Violence that Could Lead to Atrocity Crimes, sects. 8 and 9. Security Council resolution 2686 (2023), paras. 3, 12 and 15. A/HRC/40/58, annex I, para. 20. See, for example, Rosa Emilia Salamanca, “Indigenous women and Colombia’s peace process: pathways to participation” (London, Conciliation Resources, June 2017). Security Council resolution 2686 (2023), para. 15. 24-13239