Anti-Conversion Laws and the International Response

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Anti-Conversion Laws

Four countries in South and Southeast Asia—India, Nepal, Myanmar, and Bhutan—have laws that severely regulate religious conversion. Government officials and the police, in line with increasingly nationalist politicians and lawmakers, selectively enforce these laws, effectively banning conversion from the majority religion to a minority religion, in particular Christianity and Islam. This article examines the language of these anti-conversion laws, the political and religious contexts in which they became law, and their effects on religious minorities.

Freedom of Conscience

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The Freedom of Conscience

A common appeal to conscience is the phrase ‘I couldn’t live with myself if I…’
It shows the strength of conscientious conviction. It is a concept which has crossed between the religious and secular divide through the ages and is understood by some as a moral constraint upon behaviour which might implore someone to act (or not act) in a particular way.

EU-OACPS Partnership Agreement – Pacific Region

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EU-OACPS Partnership Agreement – Pacific Region

The Partnership Agreement between the European Union (EU) and the members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), formerly known as the ACP Group of States, is a draft treaty covering a broad range of thematic areas including peace and security, sustainable development, migration and, notably, human rights. Negotiations on the Agreement began in September 2018 and formally concluded on 15 April 2021.

While the Agreement builds on, and is intended to replace, the Cotonou Agreement of 2000, its scope has been expanded to cover new areas, such as “Human Rights, Democracy and Governance in People-Centred and Rights-based Societies” and “Human and Social Development”. Under the guise of advancing inter alia gender equality and the empowerment of women, the document introduces several controversial elements. The inclusion of these elements far exceeds the original scope of the negotiating mandate of the OACPS.

EU-OACPS Partnership Agreement – Caribbean Region

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EU-OACPS Partnership Agreement – Caribbean Region

The Partnership Agreement between the European Union (EU) and the members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), formerly known as the ACP Group of States, is a draft treaty covering a broad range of thematic areas including peace and security, sustainable development, migration and, notably, human rights. Negotiations on the Agreement began in September 2018 and formally concluded on 15 April 2021.

While the Agreement builds on, and is intended to replace, the Cotonou Agreement of 2000, its scope has been expanded to cover new areas, such as “Human Rights, Democracy and Governance in People-Centred and Rights-based Societies” and “Human and Social Development”. Under the guise of advancing inter alia gender equality and the empowerment of women, the document introduces several controversial elements. The inclusion of these elements far exceeds the original scope of the negotiating mandate of the OACPS.

EU-OACPS Partnership Agreement – Africa Region

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EU-OACPS Partnership Agreement – Africa Region

The Partnership Agreement between the European Union (EU) and the members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), formerly known as the ACP Group of States, is a draft treaty covering a broad range of thematic areas including peace and security, sustainable development, migration and, notably, human rights. Negotiations on the Agreement began in September 2018 and formally concluded on 15 April 2021.

While the Agreement builds on, and is intended to replace, the Cotonou Agreement of 2000, its scope has been expanded to cover new areas, such as “Human Rights, Democracy and Governance in People-Centred and Rights-based Societies” and “Human and Social Development”. Under the guise of advancing inter alia gender equality and the empowerment of women, the document introduces several controversial elements. The inclusion of these elements far exceeds the original scope of the negotiating mandate of the OACPS.

The Global Human Rights Landscape

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The Global Human Rights Landscape: A Short Guide to Understanding the International Organizations and the Opportunities for Engagement

Throughout the world today, marriage is being redefined by national courts and governments, religious liberty is severely threatened, and abortion is routinely promoted as a ‘human right’. The international organizations that were established in the 20th century to protect fundamental human rights are instead in some areas being used to undermine them. This short guide seeks to answer three questions: What are the international and regional human rights institutions that exist around the world, why do they matter and how can individuals and organizations get involved?