Amidst increasing security-driven restrictions on the right to freedom of religion or belief in the OSCE region, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) published Freedom of Religion or Belief and Security: Policy Guidance on 19 September 2019.
This new publication, launched at a side event of the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting 2019 in Warsaw, provides guiding principles, practical guidance and recommendations to ensure a human rights-based, gender-sensitive approach to freedom of religion or belief and security for policymakers and security practitioners, civil society organizations, religious or belief communities, and the media.
“This policy guidance seeks to contribute to the much-needed reframing of the discourse on freedom of religion or belief and security in the OSCE region and to inform practice in this area,” said Kishan Manocha, ODIHR Senior Adviser on Freedom of Religion or Belief. “It offers practical guidance to help OSCE participating States ensure their security measures are in line with their international obligations and commitments in this area.”
Some 50 participants drawn from state authorities, civil society organizations, religious or belief communities, academic institutions, and the media attended the launch event. ODIHR will present the recommendations contained in the policy guidance at a number of roundtable discussions and other meetings to be convened across the OSCE region in the coming months.
Source: www.osce.org
