A/66/156 Interim report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief Summary In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Heiner Bielefeldt, provides an overview of his activities since the submission of the previous report to the General Assembly (A/65/207). The Special Rapporteur then focuses on the role of the State in promoting interreligious communication. In this context, “interreligious communication” is understood to include various forms of exchange of information, experiences and ideas of all kinds between individuals and groups belonging to different theistic, atheistic and non-theistic beliefs, or not professing any religion or belief. The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that communication and public debate constitute a crucial element for human rights to become a reality. He stresses that freedom of religion or belief can flourish only in a climate of open public discourse. At the same time, it is also important to be aware of possible adverse side effects that may occur in the context of interreligious dialogue projects; for example, if intrareligious diversity is undervalued, religious communities are portrayed in a stereotypical manner or full inclusiveness of interreligious dialogue projects is falsely claimed. In this context, the Special Rapporteur outlines some guidelines to address any adverse side effects. In his conclusions and recommendations, the Special Rapporteur encourages States to take a constructive role in promoting interreligious communication, based on respect for every human being’s freedom of religion or belief. The Special Rapporteur points to a number of possibilities for States, including encouraging interreligious communication by publicly expressing their appreciation for welldefined dialogue projects; providing financial subsidies to existing or newly created projects; facilitating dialogue among members of various religious or belief groups in the framework of the State itself; and developing forums for regular encounters of people of different religious or belief affiliations. Besides promoting “formal” interreligious dialogue, the Special Rapporteur argues that States should also become more aware of the potential of “informal” interreligious communication across different groups that is not organized explicitly along denominational lines, for example through informal settings in multicultural neighbourhoods, schools, clubs and other public services. 2 11-41943