The International Association for Religious Freedom recently affirmed its commitment to global human rights and interfaith collaboration by endorsing two significant international statements focusing on gender equality and the protection of religious minorities.
Supporting Gender Equality & Civil Society
IARF proudly joined over 100 NGOs in endorsing the International Women’s Day 2025 statement, initiated by Soroptimist International and the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO). This collective action highlights the power of collaboration in advancing women’s rights. This endorsement aligns with IARF’s ongoing commitment to advancing gender equality (SDG 5), demonstrated by our participation in the recent 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) in New York, which focused on reviewing the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The statement is being shared with UN officials and member states to amplify its message.
Read the full statement: International Women’s Day 2025 Statement.
Advocating for Minority Religious Identity at the UN
Aligning with our mandate, IARF also supported a joint statement delivered at the 58th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council on March 21, 2025. Presented during the dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, the statement addresses the critical challenges minorities face when their religious identity is not properly acknowledged or respected in legal processes.
It highlights how forced declarations of incorrect faiths or prohibitions on changing religious affiliation restrict fundamental rights and calls on States to ensure religious identity serves as a basis for empowerment, not marginalization.
These endorsements reflect IARF’s core mission and our active engagement using our ECOSOC consultative status to advocate for religious freedom and human rights for all.