IARF at the United Nations: A Brief History

The International Association for Religious Freedom has a long history of involvement with the United Nations. The organisation is first mentioned (under a former name) as one of fewer than 300 non-governmental organisations registered with the U.N.'s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in the 1955 UN Yearbook. In 1972, IARF applied for & was granted consultative status with ECOSOC.

The organisation was instrumental to the development of an NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which was initiated by Homer Jack in 1989. The IARF, joined by the World Conference on Religion and Peace and the International Religious Liberty Association funded a study entitled "The Question of a United Nations Convention on Religious Intolerance." The study, based on interviews with UN staff, diplomats and NGOs, was inconclusive on the advisability of working specifically to get the UN to adopt a convention as such, but those interviewed for the study indicated strongly that the issue of religious intolerance was an important one which should receive serious attention.

Following publication of the study, a group of NGOs met regularly to follow the issue and to provide support for the Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance (this title was later changed by the Commission on Human Rights). The Special Rapporteur was initially appointed in 1986 to report regularly to the UN Commission on Human Rights (now the Human Rights Council) and the General Assembly about violations of religious freedom.

In 1992, the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief (COFROB) applied for and was granted formal status with ECOSOC as one of about 20 NGO Committees associated with ECOSOC's Council of NGOs. IARF Representatives to the UN have served in various major roles with COFROB. Homer Jack provided inspiration and energy, especially in the early days of COFROB. Sue Nichols was COFROB's first President, and has since also served as COFROB's Secretary and Treasurer.

The IARF has been involved in commemoration of the UN's Annual Day for Freedom of Religion or Belief, which has been observed each year since 1995 to honor the anniversary of the General Assembly's Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief.

The Declaration, adopted by the UN General Assembly on November 25, 1981, expands on Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees universal freedom of religion or belief.

Among many NGO and religious leaders, activists and scholars, major speakers have included:

- Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights;
- Abdelfattah Amor, former Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief;
- Samuel Huntington, author of The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order;
- Felice Gaer and David Saperstein, members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).