The Government is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all, and to promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Indeed, promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. However, HM Government remains deeply concerned about the increase in FoRB violations globally.
Nobody should live in fear because of their identity or beliefs. Officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) regularly raise concerns with national governments who are not meeting their obligations to this end, both publicly and in private, including at a ministerial level.
The FCDO also works via multilateral forums, such as the UN, G7, and the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance to promote and protect FoRB for all, and in July 2022, the UK hosted an International Ministerial Conference on FoRB to energise collective efforts on this agenda. This is just the latest step in the UK’s leadership on this matter.
(January 2023)
