Summary
- NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief/Holy See Mission to host religious freedom event
- Ambassador Sam Brownback to speak at United Nations for the first time
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NEW YORK (19 October 2018) – What is the current state of international religious freedom and what should the United Nations do about it? On 24 October, the Non-Governmental Organizations Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief and the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations will host a benchmark event on religious freedom at the United Nations Headquarters in New York where these topics will be discussed. The event will feature four of the highest ranking international leaders on religious freedom for the first time.
“It is time for the United Nations to stay true to its commitment to the freedom of religion and belief. No person or group should be persecuted for their faith. Wednesday’s event could become a milestone for upholding the right to religious freedom around the world,” said Kelsey Zorzi, President of the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion and Belief and Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International.
Growing global assault
Zorzi will be co-chairing and moderating the event. Titled “Article 18 at 70” the panel members will discuss and strategize how the United Nations should respond to the growing global assault on religious freedom. The aim is to raise awareness of the global threats to religious freedom along with the necessary strategies for governments to counter violations of this fundamental right across the world. This event comes at a crucial time as little has been done to uphold religious freedom. ADF International has documented these shortcomings in the white paper, “The UN’s Failure to Promote and Protect Religious Freedom.”
The title “Article 18 at 70” of this event refers to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which provides for the right to the freedom of religion or belief. The Declaration will see its 70th anniversary on 10 December 2018. ADF International is commemorating this anniversary with a global campaign called “I’m Human, Right?”
EVENT AVISO “Article 18 at 70”
What: Panel discussion
When: 24 October 2018, 1:15pm-2:30pm
Where: United Nations Headquarters, 405 E. 42nd St., ECOSOC Chamber, New York
Who: Ambassador Sam Brownback, US Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom
Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion or Belief
Ambassador Michael Suhr, Special Representative for Religious Freedom and Belief
Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations
RSVP: Please RSVP here by 11:59 a.m. EDT on Oct. 22.
