CSW condemns defamation of religion resolution

CSW today expressed dismay as the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) passed a resolution entitled “Combating Defamation of Religion”.

The resolution was passed with 23 votes in favour and 11 votes against with 13 abstentions. Originally tabled in 1999 at the Human Rights Commission, the resolution has been passed annually at the United Nations, including by the General Assembly every year since 2005.

In comments made to the HRC prior to the vote, the Canadian delegate had expressed concern about the resolution stating: “We have difficulty with calls for the protection of religions themselves rather than the protection and promotion of the rights of the adherents of religions, including a person’s belonging to religious minorities. It is individuals who have rights, not religions”.

Earlier in the week CSW joined with 186 other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in calling on governments to reject the Pakistan-tabled resolution.

The NGO joint statement had expressed concern that “defamation of religions resolutions may be used in certain countries to silence and intimidate human rights activists, religious dissenters, and other independent voices”.

In addition, it is feared that the passing of this resolution will bolster arguments that “defamation of religion” should play a central role in the United Nations Durban Review Conference in Geneva in April.

The conference is a follow-up to the 2001 World Conference on Racism. There has been a concerted effort, led by the 57 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), to place defamation of religion at the very heart of the conference discussions.

CSW’s Advocacy Director, Alexa Papadouris, said: “Unfortunately these resolutions seek to undermine the very principles we were celebrating just last December with the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They attack freedom of expression and freedom of religion and seek to protect powerful governments at the expense of often powerless individuals. We therefore call on governments to reject defamation of religion in whatever form it should take at next month’s conference in Geneva and reaffirm the protection of religious believers through existing international human rights law.”

For the full text of the statement signed earlier in the week by NGOs, with their names, please contact CSW’s press office.

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