The Beirut Declaration and Its 18 Commitments On
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The Beirut Declaration and its 18 commitments on Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland Email: [email protected] Internet: www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomReligion/Pages/FaithForRights.aspx 14th edition (June 2021), photo credits: Aline Khalil, Ibrahim Salama and Michael Wiener 2 | P a g e Beirut Declaration and its 18 commitments on Table of Contents Statement by the High Commissioner ......................................................................................................... 4 Overview ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 Beirut opening statement ........................................................................................................................... 6 Expert workshop (Beirut, March 2017) ....................................................................................................... 7 Beirut Declaration on “Faith for Rights” ...................................................................................................... 8 English version ......................................................................................................................................... 8 French version .........................................................................................................................................14 Arabic version .........................................................................................................................................21 18 commitments on “Faith for Rights” .......................................................................................................28 English version ........................................................................................................................................28 French version .........................................................................................................................................34 Arabic version .........................................................................................................................................40 Options for civil society follow-up ..............................................................................................................45 Symposium for religious leaders and civil society (Dakar, May 2017) ........................................................48 CEDAW discussions concerning “Faith for Rights” (Geneva, since July 2017) .............................................50 Excerpts from United Nations reports (since 2017) ....................................................................................54 Reports by the Secretary-General ............................................................................................................54 Reports by the High Commissioner for Human Rights ...............................................................................59 Reports by Treaty Bodies .........................................................................................................................69 Reports by Special Rapporteurs................................................................................................................70 Rabat+5 symposium (Rabat, December 2017) ...........................................................................................75 High Commissioner’s opening statement to the Rabat+5 symposium ........................................................76 Presentation of “Faith for Rights” projects by various stakeholders ...........................................................78 Chairman’s final statement of the Rabat+5 symposium.............................................................................79 Geneva seminar (February 2018) ...............................................................................................................80 Youth workshop in Tunis (May 2018) .........................................................................................................81 Regional workshop in Marrakech (November 2018) ..................................................................................82 Social media workshop in Tunis (October 2019) ........................................................................................83 Collonges Declaration (December 2019) ....................................................................................................84 #Faith4Rights toolkit (January 2020) ..........................................................................................................85 Tweeting the 18 commitments on “Faith for Rights” .................................................................................86 Artistic expressions for human rights........................................................................................................87 Webinars on the impact of COVID-19 (since April 2020) ............................................................................88 Open list of supporters of the Beirut Declaration and its 18 commitments ...............................................90 “Faith for Rights” P a g e | 3 Statement by the High Commissioner Human rights are closely connected to religion, security and peace. Religious leaders play a crucial role in either defending human rights, peace and security – or, unfortunately, in undermining them. Supporting the positive contributions of faith- based actors is crucial, as is preventing the exploitation of religious faith as a tool in conflicts, or as interpreted to deny people’s rights. Human rights and faith can be mutually supportive. Indeed, many people of faith have worked at the heart of the human rights movement, precisely because of their deep attachment to respect for human dignity, human equality, and justice. I am convinced that faith-based actors can promote trust and respect between communities. And I am committed to assisting governments, religious authorities and civil society actors to work jointly to uphold human dignity and equality for all. In recent years, my Office has been working with faith-based actors to conceive the ‘Faith for Rights’ framework. Its 18 commitments reach out to people of different religions and beliefs in all regions of the world, to promote a common, action-oriented platform. The ‘Faith for Rights’ framework includes a commitment not to tolerate exclusionary interpretations, which instrumentalize religions, beliefs or their followers for electoral purposes or political gains. In this context, it is vital to protect religious minorities, refugees and migrants, particularly where they have been targeted by incitement to hatred and violence. We look forward to seeing the ‘Faith for Rights’ framework translated into practical outreach tools and capacity-building programmes. Already, it has been picked up by a number of communities. For example, the 18 commitments have been translated into Greek and Turkish in the context of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process, to be used in human rights education projects across the island. Respect for human rights shapes societies that are more peaceful, more resilient, more sustainably developed – more successful, across a whole range of metrics. School by school and town by town, local success stories can inspire positive changes elsewhere in the world. We hope the ‘Faith for Rights’ framework will also inspire interdisciplinary research on questions related to faith and rights. Deeper exploration of the ethical and spiritual foundations provided by religions and beliefs can help to debunk the myth that human rights are solely Western values. On the contrary: the human rights agenda is rooted in cultures across the world. Respect for human life, and human dignity, wellbeing and justice, are common to us all. ‘Faith’ can indeed stand up for ‘Rights’ so that both enhance each other. As the ‘Faith for Rights’ framework proclaims, “We are resolved to challenge the manipulation of religions in both politics and conflicts. We intend to be a balancing united voice of solidarity, reason, compassion, moderation, enlightenment and corresponding collective action”. I look forward to your progress towards these goals. Michelle Bachelet High Commissioner for Human Rights 4 | P a g e Beirut Declaration and its 18 commitments on Overview In 2017, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights launched the “Faith for Rights” framework with an expert workshop in Beirut. This framework provides space for a cross-disciplinary reflection and action on the deep, and mutually enriching, connections between religions and human rights. The objective is to foster the development of peaceful societies, which uphold human dignity and equality for all and where diversity is not just tolerated but fully respected and celebrated. In his video message, the High Commissioner for Human Rights stressed that religious leaders are potentially very important human rights actors in view of their considerable influence on the hearts and minds of millions of people. The 2012 Rabat Plan of Action on the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence already laid out some of religious leaders’ core responsibilities against incitement to hatred. Expanding those responsibilities to the full spectrum of human rights, the faith-based and civil society actors participating