20th Anniversary Remembered

An important day is coming up for individuals and groups supporting the cause of religious freedom. November 25, 2001 marks the 20th anniversary of the day that the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief came into force. This Declaration was adopted by the UN’s General Assembly twenty years ago and was considered a landmark document for setting international standards for rights to freedom of religion or belief. While there is often a repudiation of these international standards in practice, the document has, nonetheless, served as a guide for what constitutes discrimination on religious grounds. Although religious scholars and lawyers cite improvements that could still be made, one may recall that it took the UN’s member states nearly twenty years (from the early 1960’s) to agree to the terms of the Declaration. As such, its adoption marked a real step forward for the international community.

Owing to the occasion of the anniversary, November 25 is a good time for IARF chapters and members to organise events and programmes around the topic of religious freedom. The IARF Secretariat in Oxford would be happy to hear of activities done at the local level for commemorating this important anniversary. Already, IARF members in India are planning a national event in New Delhi. Top politicians and academics will be invited to participate in a programme focused on the UN Declaration. IARF contacts in India note that the event will be given wide publicity. For more information, contact the IARF office in India.

At the international level, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the question of religious intolerance, Mr Abdelfattah Amor, has organised a special United Nations conference on the subject of "School Education in Relation with Freedom of Religion and Belief, Tolerance and Non-Discrimination." This conference will be held from 23-25 November in Madrid, Spain. As Mr Amor typically monitors manifestations of intolerance and discrimination for the international community, the aim of this conference is to focus on prevention. IARF will have representatives at this important convocation and our colleagues in Geneva have already had input into the official document expected to come out of this meeting.