Statement by: Mr David Hamer, Adviser, Australian Mission to the UN

As delivered

Australia thanks the Special Rapporteur for your report’s timely examination of peace and the right to freedom of religion or belief.

We agree with the Special Rapporteur’s report that freedom of religion or belief creates conditions for peace, strengthening conflict prevention, peacemaking and peacebuilding.

Australia is committed to protecting the rights of all people to adopt, manifest, change or leave any religion or belief without experiencing religious hatred, discrimination or violence. The full respect for human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief is a prerequisite of peace.

We agree with the report that the protection and promotion of the right of freedom of religion or belief of religious minorities contributes to strengthening peace. We are deeply concerned with the report’s findings of the use of laws and policies to “securitize” religious or belief minorities: a process whereby religious or belief minorities are perceived as a threat, requiring extraordinary punitive legal and policy measures. This results in a wide range of restrictions on manifestation of religion or belief – that are entirely inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which enshrines the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

We acknowledge that institutions based on rule of law, independent judiciaries, free media and active civil society can be effectively harnessed against hatred and religious intolerance and can foster peace. We encourage member states to reinvigorate interfaith and intercultural dialogues.

Special Rapporteur, Australia sees gender equality as deeply connected with progress on all human rights. We are interested in your views on the relationship between freedom of religion or belief, gender equality and peace, given also the importance of gender perspectives for both FoRB and peacebuilding?

Thank you.