Stlt.n.nt by Asna Jahatrgir Speial R.pporturotr lledom of religionor belief

63rds$ion ofthe GendalAsenbly Tbird Colmirree

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Ladies Gentlemen, and dialosue wilh lam pleased havethls to opporlunily engage an inieBclive to in orrcllgion on rclating my mandate rredom lo on th ThirdCommiltee issues I oi or belief.In this oral siatemeni, intendto give you an overview the rcpodand Eise somekey mandate's activities carried sin@my previous out In I included the present in rpon. addilion, alsowouldlikelo bieny issues DeclaEtion oinerlopics, suchasthe6d" anniversaryofthe Univetsal address for of of Homan Righls lis signifi@nce fredom ligionor belief. and and the Human RightsCouncilviewed, ralionalized Last December, of lollowlng fourmainaxes the improved termsof rcference my mandate ihe slnce ha',guided implementatlon lhen: its belowwhich regional 1) In ordr prcmotethe adoptionof moasure.atthe national, 10 of and international leveb to ensurcthe p.omotionand protectlon the vanous kindsof right to freedomof rcllglonor beli6f,I haveundei.aken wiln Ai level,I have had brainsloming metings aciivitiss. the national rcDresnlatives Slates and clvil society oqanlzrtions to reflect on lho oi or in @unlry. the oionallevl Ai situation oitoedomolrcligion belief a given of and dlalogue I have, instance for addressed issue iniets inhajellgious lhe in the rramewoft of an initiatlve lltrich aims at raising awarenessabout in initiative the {or lntercullural dialogue. was also involved a regionaL I pdnciplos leaohing developmenl guiding of on aboulrcligions beliefs and 'n public schoolE. lhe intemalional At level, have6upported proposal a I the ior UnitedNatbnsdecadeof interreligiousdialogueandcooperctbntor peae in dialogue va ousfoms andon in oderio encouEge inteFandlnaa{eligious diFerent levels. Fu|f1elmorc, I hav participatsdin a joint contributionby Spcial Procedwes'mandateholde !$ich aimE at pioviling substanlive ils inprdtdtheuft bancdrference-raidewipmcesr a.ldrBssed PrelEralory and

commilleeat ils secondsubshnlivesession Eanierthis month I also panicpated an exped seminarorganized the Officeof ihe High by in oi Commissjoner Human ior Rights 'fedomof expEssion advocacy and of inciGment disciminalion, lo hostilily and ligious hatfedlhat conslitules

2) Counlry visitshave a$isted in ldendfyingthe existing and emsrging ob3tacles lhe enjoynentof ihe right to freedomot religlonor belief to and in prBentins rccomm.ndatom on ways and meaB to overcome (A/62/280), I havevisrcdAngola, Buchobstacles. Sin@my laslrcporl lsmel andthe occupied Palestinian leritoryas wellas hdia. Bnefsummades my of rindings included thepFsenlBpoi( ln addnion, month @nducted a in lasl | the ntsi counlryvisit to lu*menislan by a SpeoialPrcoedures mandale or holder. me herc lhankthe Governmenls ihese Stalesior lhe good Let lhey to submitled rcporton lhe coope.alion enended me. I havspreviously hts my coun8 visltto Angola lhe HumanRig Counciln l4arah lhis year 1o of other rsports its10thsession. al andlwillDreseftthe 3) Communications lo lhe Gohments havebeena precious lo sent tool incidenb and govsrnmenhlaclionslhat are inconpatible with el(amine of ofAll Formsof tho Drovisions the 1981Decladlionon the Elimination Intolehnceand ot Dbc minaton Based on Roligionor. B.llef.and to. remedial measures apProPriate. as sincetheeslablishment rscommend oi in allegalion lefieBaDduent appeals the mandale 1986,morethan 1,130 havebeensentto a tolal number 130Stats. oi Howevr. communicalions piclure. Indeed, civmanymo allegatons | onlygivea general lhar ale addilion, thee may be stlil lunhsr finallykansmified Govemmenls..In lo thal lo Consequently, lhe allegatrons havenot been brcughl my aitention. public "comnunioations rcporris onlyan indication thefonnsol violalion ol ot which @fnotbeconsideed exhalstive. as fedomol religion beliel or

plactice, havalways priorilized application a the of I 4) In my mandate gender lE6pective, inier alia, through the ldenfflcalion of gendeF speclflc abuse, in the reporling proce$, including in information As collectionand in recommendatiotu a sult mostof my rcporlsdo or aggEvaied discrimination onthegrounds ofgenderand religion touchupon part bellef.That is for inslan@ @se in ihe substanlive of the present t'e

somekey issus raised my prcsentporl in Thisleadsme to highlighling coneming citlzemhip issues and reliqious rliscrlmlnation in on adminbtmtiveprocedures. Mostsiaiesdo iot openydiscnminate lhe procedufes. or in applicalions otheradministEtive basisof rcligion citinship I offera number exampes of whe Statepr,aclice domesiic or Noneiheless, freedom ol legislation inconsistent humanighls siandadsEgarding iE with

ses ofdenialordepivaiion citizenship of I have, instEnce, for encounleFd whichamount disc mination. In aiiliations io based a peFon'sreligious on a@ prevenled from becoming citizens dus !o theh sonrecases,believeE menlioning selecled of ligionson official rellglolsaflilialion. Compulsory I that ideititycads or passports caniesa seious riskof abuse. belleve also has of discriminalion based reLigion blief io on or iho likelihood subsequent possible Easons disclosing holdeisleligion for the on be$,eighed againsllhe public State lD @ds. Fldher,I havesendiscriminalory pEcticercstdcnng posts to membersof a ceriain religionor a parlicular denomination. poslhave takern oathof peEons\^to id Somelimes, wishlo takeup a public allesiance a cerlain to religion. nay amount coercion lhe Staleand This to by mayviolate lndiudual's the freedom religion beliet of or

I conclude my podihatwhite Srare enriied detemine criteria in ihe is lo rhe on the basisof whichcirizenstrip accodedandto denne adninistEtive is its procedures, may not do this in a discriminalory il manner, oxampte tor by making disllnction the basisof rctigion betief. a on or Fudher. whenthese pDedures sutt jn rcsrriciions trcedom manifest adminislEtive on lo one,s Eligionor beliel the Stalemustensure that certain condirions futijlted. a The Staiemay havea tegirimate anreresr timfting in somemarifesiarions of rcrigion belief, any timilation or bur musibe based ths gDundsof pubtic oi safety, order, health, morats thetlndamenrat or rishts fredoms ofothe6. and It mustEspond a plessing pubtic sociat to or need, mustpuBue tegitimate it a aim,andil musibe prcportionatethatain. Every ro Umitarion imposd should be subject Ihe possibili9 cha engero, andrcmedy io of againsr, abusive its appli@lion. Fundamenlat faimess ihe ng b appeat and rnust guanted be in all citizenship and administnattue prccedurss. essence, In lieedom of religionor beliefand the tegitimate inreresrs the state have ro be oi considersd a case-by-case withful rcspecr inlenaiionat on basis for human

Ladies cenllemen, and As you know,this year marks 6oti anniveBary rwo ssenrjat human ihe ot ighis instruments, nametyihe UDHR and rhe Conveniion on rhe Prevntion.ndPunishment ths Crimeof Genoctde. of Inrhecontext a of fasl-changiTwond in whict the univecaty of humar nghts |s being chsllenged, etrods ise aMrcnessor, and specrfor, humanrighrs our to ale mD|evital thfl ever We musfa[ srdveto atftm the sireflgthottiulnn, . dghlswhichliesabove in lhoiruiiversat att chalacrer. human A beinss arc enlitledto.havethen humandghlsEspeciedwhere@r theyalE.As agEed by Slales15yealsagoin Vienna, sisni,icnce narjonat IQuotel,Utibl,he ot and regional paniculcrities and !dous histodGr, cLttu|at and rcligiols

backgrcuids bebome mind, isiheduty Slates, must in i1 of gadless thejr of polillcal, systems, promole protecl human to economic culturar and and all ighlsandtundamellal freedoms tunqJolel
The prcvisions the UDHRremrinof utmost of levance loday. Adicle18 of the UDHR fedomofhought,conscien@ religion of course on and has bosn at the center my mandate. ol Indeed, arlicle18 has guided rclk of this the mandaie since inceDlion thiE its and offeFa sound iramework which Dfovision allowstor dalogue wiih States.Fedom of |ligionor blief rmains, nonetheless,complex sensiiive a and tundamental whichis,to ihis day, dght nol devoid conlroversy. onlyneeds rcferlo the fedom to chanse of One lo one'sEllgion orbelletWhilelhe GeneralAssembly consistently has adopted whichexpliciuy fer to the 'tightto change resolulions consensus by one's rcligion beiefr somedelegalions or ollhe Human Rights Council seemed io challenge very fundamental thls dght. lt ls moG than ever ne@ssary to reaffirm conlinuing ihe retevance ofthe UDHR whichproclaims lhe right that to fEedomol lhought, conscience religion and includes f.eedom change to one'srellgioi beliet or Finally, alsowouldlike1ohighlght I another institutional development the in tieldof human rights whichhastakenplacelhis year,namely stariofthe lhe Universal Periodic Review. This mechanism undoubtedlv Dfovldes a valuable toolto iollowup, interalia on Special Procedures communications andcountry visiis In the lramework my mandale,alsointend inforce of I to fo low-upprocdures fe-establishing mandale's by the initialapproach wiih follow-upletiers after countryvisits ii oder lo receve updatedinformalion about implementaiionmyrccommendalions naiionallevel. the of al the you I thank foryow attention.
' s F o E .e r6 o P q n cA q 6 'ldr oPq4,q*dr r ?,oPr o( .,