Freedom of religion or belief
As enshrined in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in Community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance”.
This right, commonly known as freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), is internationally enforced through instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 18) or the European Convention on Human Rights (Article 9).
At the EU level, the right to FoRB is also enshrined in Article 10 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
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Freedom of religion or belief is one of the key priorities of the EU’s external human rights policy. Over many years, the EU has spearheaded the fight against religious intolerance and for freedom of religion or belief.
On 24 June 2013, the Council of the EU adopted the “EU Guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief.” This landmark policy document establishes a compass for the officials of the European Union and its Member States, which guides EU action at the international level in order to promote, protect and fulfil the right to FoRB for all individuals everywhere.
Taking into account these EU Guidelines, the EU institutions and diplomats reach out to third countries, take action in multilateral fora, and design calls for proposals to fund FoRB-related projects implemented by international and civil society organisations worldwide.
Every year, the EEAS and the European Commission inform the Working Group on Human Rights of the Council of the European Union about the implementation of the EU Guidelines. The most recent working document presented to the Council is EEAS (2025) 820, covering the 2024–2025 period.
More information on the implementation of the EU’s external policy on FoRB can be found in the 2024 EU Annual Reports on Human Rights and Democracy in the World.
The EU presents resolutions on Freedom of Religion or Belief every year at the UN Human Rights Council and the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly. The most recent were Resolution 58/5 at the Human Rights Council (58th session, 2025) and Resolution 79/174 at the General Assembly (79th session, 2024–2025).