The International Ministerial Conference to advance FoRB on 4-6 July 2022 was held in London. During the year we moved the dial from a planned 300 delegates conference to a significant gathering of over 1000. The Conference and its associated fringe brought together government delegations, faith and belief group leaders and civil society from over 100 countries, with 88 countries sending official delegates for rich discussions to address challenges to the right to FoRB.
The Conference explored the many facets of FoRB through seventeen themed panel sessions and gave a platform to those persecuted for their religion or belief. There was an active FoRB Fringe events programme of over 100 events both inside and outside the conference centre, working closely with the UK FoRB Forum. The Chair also hosted and spoke with the Deputy Special Envoy at receptions at the Speaker’s Banquet in Parliament, Lancaster House, No10 and the US Embassy.
Forty-seven governments, international organisations and other entities made pledges to take action in support of FoRB. Thirty-four countries joined the U.K. in signing up to one or more of a set of statements protecting and promoting FoRB.
The opening plenary session received contributions from: His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales; the previous Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Liz Truss MP; Secretary General of the Muslim World League, His Excellency Sheikh Al-Issa; Head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad; the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby; Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis; President of Humanists International, Mr Andrew Copson; Spiritual Leader and Chairman of Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jutha, Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh, and President of the Hindu Forum of Britain, Mrs Trupti Patel. I chaired the opening keynote panel and my Deputy, David Burrowes, chaired a panel on the role of civil society.
The FoRB Ministerial was an important human rights milestone which galvanised international efforts to do more to protect and promote the right to FoRB. The challenge now was to turn words into action – IRFBA and its Council of Experts committed to doing this through building coalitions of government and civil society actors focussed on key themes which emerged from the Ministerial which were brainstormed at the Next Steps Conference which followed it on 7th July at Lancaster House.
These areas of action included work on:
• Protecting Religious and Cultural Heritage
• Developing Education Materials on FoRB
• Inspiring the Next Generation of FoRB Ambassadors
• Championing Prisoners of Conscience
• Working with lawyers on Legislative Reform
• Building an International Network of FoRB roundtables
• Networking human rights defenders
• Engaging the Media on FoRB
