Global rules to eliminate all forms of religious oppression

Motion for a resolution | Doc. 15700 | 30 January 2023

Signatories:

Mr Gerardo GIOVAGNOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Ms Sibel ARSLAN, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Romilda BALDACCHINO ZARB, Malta, SOC ; Ms Petra BAYR, Austria, SOC ; Ms Arta BILALLI ZENDELI, North Macedonia, SOC ; Ms Doris BURES, Austria, SOC ; Ms Naomi CACHIA, Malta, SOC ; Ms Laura CASTEL, Spain, UEL ; Mr Pedro CEGONHO, Portugal, SOC ; Mr Ahmet Ünal ÇEVİKÖZ, Türkiye, SOC ; Mr Titus CORLĂŢEAN, Romania, SOC ; Mr Andi-Lucian CRISTEA, Romania, SOC ; Mr Constantinos EFSTATHIOU, Cyprus, SOC ; Ms Heike ENGELHARDT, Germany, SOC ; Ms Edite ESTRELA, Portugal, SOC ; Ms María FERNÁNDEZ, Spain, SOC ; Mr Pierre-Alain FRIDEZ, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Cressida GALEA, Malta, SOC ; Ms Etilda GJONAJ, Albania, SOC ; Lord Leslie GRIFFITHS, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Björn Leví GUNNARSSON, Iceland, SOC ; Mr Antonio GUTIÉRREZ LIMONES, Spain, SOC ; Mr Domagoj HAJDUKOVIĆ, Croatia, SOC ; Mr Mogens JENSEN, Denmark, SOC ; Ms Ruth JONES, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Mattias JONSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Christophe LACROIX, Belgium, SOC ; Ms Mara LAGRIMINHA, Portugal, SOC ; Mr Kristoffer LINDBERG, Sweden, SOC ; Sir Tony LLOYD, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Arminas LYDEKA, Lithuania, ALDE ; Ms Luz MARTINEZ SEIJO, Spain, SOC ; Ms Marica MONTEMAGGI, San Marino, SOC ; Ms Mariella MULARONI, San Marino, EPP/CD ; Mr Julian PAHLKE, Germany, SOC ; Mr George PAPANDREOU, Greece, SOC ; Mr Axel SCHÄFER, Germany, SOC ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Ms Ingjerd SCHOU, Norway, EPP/CD ; Mr Frank SCHWABE, Germany, SOC ; Ms Susana SUMELZO, Spain, SOC

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

Religious oppression is the most common violation of human rights worldwide. The number of victims is beyond any statistics, not only women, children, religious minorities, but also large sections of the majorities in many countries. We need a new effective global solution for the biggest and oldest problem in mankind’s history.

We recognise that all existing international conventions related to human rights’ principles and values are still being sidelined by national legislation in many countries. They need crucially to be consolidated and affirmed by a highly focused and more effective new international treaty to combat specifically all forms of discrimination on religious bases.

The International community needs a new set of clear indisputable rules to ban: all political uses of religion that undermine human equality; all religious discrimination in rights and duties; all religious exclusion; and all restrictions to freedom of religion and belief.

These simple fair rules would provide the utmost protection for all victims of religious oppression and serve all international humanitarian objectives by eliminating the root causes of many intractable conflicts and a long list of abuses of human rights.

It would be a crucial foundation to disarm extremism by eliminating the abusive mixing of religion and politics worldwide. Subsequently, it would create functioning societies, enhance stability and open the doors for sustainable development.

The goal is to build the most inclusive global consensus on clear legal terms to eliminate all forms of religious oppression without any compromise and without offending any religious group or giving any ammunition to the extremists.

We believe the Parliamentary Assembly should call on the Council of Europe to support inter-governmental procedures to enact such a significant United Nations treaty to make the world more tolerant, fair and peaceful.