Statement on Respect for Religion or Belief

As representatives of the international community, we recognize that religious communities of all traditions can be powerful, peaceful forces for good in the world.  We call upon all governments to respect the individual’s human right to believe or not believe, to practice any faith tradition or none.  We celebrate the good of religion manifested in countless selfless acts of service, compassion and charity across the globe, and condemn horrific acts committed in the name of religion.

We strongly encourage governments to broadly engage with all religious and other communities of conscience, and to encourage the communities we represent to handle any disagreements on matters of ethics, politics, philosophy, and theology through respectful, peaceful, and constructive discourse.

Co-Signatories: Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Ghana, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Marshall Islands, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, The Gambia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uzbekistan