Project profile — Freedom of Religion or Belief for Inclusive Societies

• America, regional (20.00%)
• Asia, regional (20.00%)
• Oceania, regional (20.00%)
• Europe, regional (20.00%)
• Africa, regional (20.00%)

• Foreign affairs:
Foreign affairs (15121) (10.00%)
Human rights (15160) (90.00%)

• Gender equality (principal objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Nutrition (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

The project aims to promote gender equality and social inclusion of women, and sexual orientation and gender identity minorities, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. This is done by addressing injustices, conflicts, tensions and human rights violations associated with freedom of religious belief. Through stakeholder workshops, the project facilitates exchanges between the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief (an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council) and a range of other relevant special procedure mandate holders (independent experts) to advance the protection of the rights of women, and of sexual orientation and gender identity minorities. Special procedures are a central element of the United Nations human rights system that is implemented by independent experts (mandate holders) who report and advise on human rights issues.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved effectiveness of the UN Special Rapporteur and associated special procedure mandate holders to identify and subsequently address challenges facing governments in promoting gender equality and combatting discrimination based on the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; and (2) strengthened advocacy efforts to counter discriminatory and other harmful practices that undermine international and national protections for women, and sexual orientation and gender identity minorities.

Results achieved as of April 2020 include: (1) stakeholder reports, research, and workshops undertaken through this project contributed to the authoritative statements, presentations and reports offered by the FoRB-focused UN Special Rapporteur. These efforts aided the Rapporteur’s efforts to document, reporting on, and respond to gender inequality and discrimination involving religion or belief when presenting report and recommendations to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2020. The report and recommendations offered by the Special Rapporteur performed as expected in achieving project results for April 2020 include: (1) improved capacity of men and women actors designing advocacy narratives about the challenges governments of the target states face in the framework of their international human rights obligations to protect FoRB, promote gender equality and combat discrimination; and (2) in strengthened advocacy efforts by these actors in response to discriminatory and other harmful practices that undermine international and national protections for women and sexual orientation and gender identity minorities.

• Proactive disclosure
• Related activities: Freedom of religion or belief for inclusive societies