The UN Special Rapporteur on religious freedom and tolerance returned from an eight-day trip to Paraguay. The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief is an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. The Rapporteur has been invited to identify existing and emerging obstacles to the enjoyment of the right to freedom of religion or belief and present recommendations on ways and means to overcome such obstacles. By mandate, the Special Rapporteur works:
- To promote the adoption of measures at the national, regional and international levels to ensure the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief;
- To identify existing and emerging obstacles to the enjoyment of the right to freedom of religion or belief and present recommendations on ways and means to overcome such obstacles;
- To continue her/his efforts to examine incidents and governmental actions that are incompatible with the provisions of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief and to recommend remedial measures as appropriate;
- To continue to apply a gender perspective, inter alia, through the identification of gender-specific abuses, in the reporting process, including in information collection and in recommendations.
The current Rapporteur is Mr. Heiner Bielefeldt.
UN News Service reported that upon his return, Mr. Bielefeldt commended Paraguay for the openness and tolerance of both the government and society, but pointed out there is “much room” for improvement in tackling the issue of inequality among varying religious groups.
The United Nations and the Human Rights Council have been active in identifying human rights abuses, specifically that of freedom of religion. The Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations remains committed to working with our church partners in other countries to build societies where people of all faiths can faithfully together.