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Chair

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The EU is strongly opposed to all forms of discrimination, hostility and violence, including those based on religion or belief. This includes anti-Muslim hatred and discrimination. In many parts of the world, persons are killed, attacked, persecuted or discriminated against because of their race, their religion or belief, or on any other grounds.

We recall that Article 18 of the ICCPR guarantees the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to have, not to have, change, adopt or stop adhering to a religion or belief, as a fundamental right of every human being, as well as to practise and manifest it freely either individually or in community with others, in public or private.

Many persons are persecuted and sometimes executed for criticizing religions, exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and expression or for exercising their right to change religion. The EU thanks all the Member States who signed the cross-regional Joint Statement on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which was delivered during the last session of the Third Committee of the GA at the EU’s initiative.

The EU is also proud to present the annual Third Committee resolution on Freedom of Religion or Belief, in parallel with the resolution on “combatting intolerance” presented by the OIC.

The EU is firmly committed to protect human rights, freedom of region of belief and the rights of persons belonging to minorities everywhere, regardless of their religion or belief. One example of this is the joint EU-OIC resolution on human rights in Myanmar and human rights violations against Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar.

Chair,

In recent years, the European Union has taken a number of important steps to counter discrimination, hostility, violence and intolerance on the basis of religion or belief.

• In the EU Human Rights and Democracy Action Plan 2020-2024 a full chapter is dedicated to ‘Protecting people, eliminating inequalities, discrimination and exclusion’.

• In October 2021, the European Union presented the first-ever comprehensive EU strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life.

• The EU has established a coordinator on combating anti-Muslim hatred, who works with EU Member States, European institutions, civil society and academia to strengthen policy responses in the field of anti-Muslim hatred.  The Coordinator will be the main point of contact for Muslim communities and organisations working in this field in the EU.

• The European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, recently underlined the EU’s commitment to fight anti-Muslim hatred in all areas of life including education, employment and social policy. This includes gathering data, monitoring and tackling all instances of anti-Muslim hatred and discrimination.”

• The EU also established a mandate of Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU.

As the main sponsor of the annual resolutions on "Freedom of Religion or Belief" in New York and Geneva, the EU advocates for a comprehensive and universal approach which seeks to eliminate all forms of incitement to discrimination, hostility, violence and intolerance directed against persons because of their religion or belief, including non-believers.

We recall that freedom of religion or belief does not protect the institution of religion and its leadership as such, nor does it prohibit the criticism of religions or beliefs. Everyone is allowed to express their opinion on religions or beliefs, including to criticize them.

The international community has invested much diplomacy to advance a concrete framework for combatting religious intolerance, discrimination and incitement to violence against persons based on religion or belief. The Rabat Plan of Action, the resolution on freedom of religion or belief, the 16/18 Resolution and the Istanbul Process all offer important tools and mechanisms designed to help us tackle these challenges in a human rights-compliant manner.

In our view, the UN should be impartial and have a universal and comprehensive approach, rather than singling out one specific religion. We believe that the focus should be the protection of the human rights of individuals. Our common objective must be to address all forms of violence and hatred, against victims from all religions and beliefs in an inclusive way.

I thank you.