Debate: The EU's actions in the field of freedom of religion or belief worldwide
Date: MONDAY, 3 OCTOBER 2022
Speaker: Mikuláš Bek
Language: EN

The EU is committed to respecting, protecting and fulfilling human rights in all areas of its external action. The freedom of religion and belief is a fundamental human right. It affects everyone. All persons have the right to manifest their religion or belief without fear of intimidation, discrimination, violence or attack. Protection must also apply to people who do not profess any religion or belief. The freedom of religion and belief is intimately connected to the realisation of other rights and values, including democracy, the rule of law, respect for human dignity, the principles of equality and solidarity, and respect for international law. The Council has closely followed both persistent and new challenges facing the realisation of the freedom of religion and belief worldwide. The Council is well aware of the scope of freedom of belief violations that involves persecution, not mere intolerance of hundreds of millions of people around the world. Allow me to mention three recent issues. First, especially in times of crisis, we often witness the rise of unjustified restrictions to human rights, including on the freedom of religion or belief. The Council recently highlighted that the COVID—19 pandemic has had a severe impact on the exercise of fundamental rights, including the freedom of religion or belief. As the Council stressed at the beginning of 2022, any restrictions to human rights in the context of the COVID—19 pandemic must be strictly necessary, proportionate, temporary in nature, and non-discriminatory. Second, as we meet today, the international community is assembling at the Human Rights Council’s 51st regular session in Geneva. The EU remains a firm supporter of the UN human rights system, including the Human Rights Council. Several of the issues recently highlighted by the EU and its Member States as requiring the Human Rights Council’s urgent attention concern also the freedom of religion or belief, notably in respect of the human rights situation in Russia, Afghanistan, China, Eritrea, Myanmar and Nicaragua, among others. Third, for many people around the world, religion and belief are a source of meaning, community and hope. In contrast, the growing number of violent conflicts across the world undermine the bonds that can support common efforts to address global problems such as climate change, the respect for all human rights, as well as the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Russia’s continuing war of aggression against Ukraine has highlighted the need to ensure the protection of religious heritage sites and places of worship, especially when groups of people gathered in these places face threats. UNESCO recently reported that more than 70 religious buildings have been damaged in fighting in Ukraine this year alone. These are just some of the challenges we face as we continue to work together to further strengthen the freedom of religion and belief worldwide. I trust that the European Parliament and the Council will continue this work together. Thank you very much for your attention.