Freedom of religion or belief as a tool for the promotion of peace

When: Friday, 25 October 2024, 1.00pm – 2.00pm EDT

Venue: EU Delegation to the UN, 666 Third Ave, 31^st floor, New York

RSVP HERE by 24 October 2024

The urgency of peace is being felt deeply and painfully around the world. Data suggests that one in seven people is currently living in an area of active conflict; that there has been a 40% increase in conflict since 2020, and an increase of 15% in the last year alone. The world is getting far more violent, precipitating tragic violations of human rights, and demanding urgent reflection and action from the international community.

In this context, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Nazila Ghanea, has dedicated her thematic report before the 79^th session of the United Nations General Assembly to the relationship between the right to peace and the right to freedom of religion or belief. Human rights and peace are conjoined in article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations: from the very beginning, human rights and peace were recognised as foundational to the Organisation. As the normative content of the right to freedom of religion or belief has developed, so the right to peace has been on the agenda of the UN for some 40 years. Questions remain, however, about how best to understand the relationship between these rights. The report therefore looks at possible answers. It makes the case that freedom of religion or belief creates the conditions, motivations, rationales, and movements for peace to emerge, strengthening conflict prevention, peace-making, and peacebuilding.

This Side Event will offer a space to further explore the centrality to peace of freedom of thought, conscience, religion, or belief. To this end, it will draw on the global insights of Ms Alice Nderitu, Special Adviser to the Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide and Ms Nihal Saad, Director of the UN Alliance of Civilisations, and Ms Stella Ronner-Grubačić, Deputy Managing Director for Global Affairs at the European External Action Service.

Guideline questions to be explored by the panellists will include:

• In what ways do violations of freedom of religion or belief undermine conditions conducive to peace and security?
• How do simplifying narratives about the nature of religion(s), and their relationship to conflict, give rise to violations of freedom of religion or belief? How may these narratives be countered?
• How can protecting and promoting freedom of religion or belief contribute to the prevention, mitigation, or transformation of conflict?

Programme

1.00 pm-1.05 pm        Welcoming Remarks by Katarina Clifford, EU Delegation to the UN

1.05 pm-1.10 pm        Some central observations from the report, Nazila Ghanea, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief

1.10 pm-1.20 pm        Ms Alice Nderitu, Special Adviser to the Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide

1.20 pm-1.30 pm        Ms Nihal Saad, Director of the UN Alliance of Civilisations

1.30 pm-1.40 pm        Ms Stella Ronner-Grubačić, Deputy Managing Director for Global Affairs at the European External Action Service

1.40 pm-1.55 pm        Q & A segment

1.55 pm-2.00 pm        Response by Ms Nazila Ghanea, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief

2.00pm                        END