The United States State Department hosted its first-ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom this week, a much-anticipated three-day conference that was attended by delegates from over 80 countries including some where there are religious freedom concerns.
Prior the ministerial, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that the event would be “more than just talk” and the result of the ministerial would be concrete steps of action.
What resulted was the issuance of several documents urging the international community to protect vulnerable religious minorities and abolish laws restricting religious freedom.
In addition, foreign delegations offered their thoughts on the importance of religious freedom, with some providing details on the actions they plan or already have taken to help facilitate the freedom of religion and belief.
Here are 10 highlights from this week’s Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom.
1. Potomac Declaration
The ministerial concluded with the release of the Potomac Declaration, a document that calls for the right to religious freedom for everyone everywhere in the world.
Although the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was enacted over 70 years ago, the Potomac Declaration explains that still about 80 percent of the world continues to live in places where their religious freedom is violated in some form or fashion.
The preamble to the new declaration says that it is time for the international community to “address these challenges directly.”
2. Plan of Action
In addition to the declaration, an accompanying Plan of Action document was issued to serve as a guide for countries on how they can act to promote religious freedom and act to assist and protect threatened religious minorities.
The plan highlights an extensive list of recommendations that are broken up into five sections — defending the right to religious freedom, confronting legal limitations, responding to genocide and mass atrocities, preserving the cultural heritage of religious minorities, and responding to threats to religious freedom.
3. Statements of Concern
In addition to the Potomac Declaration and Plan of Action, the State Department also released six statements of concern that were signed by other nations.
Three of the statements outright condemned the terrible religious freedom situations going on in China, Myanmar and Iran.
China has long faced concerns over its mistreatment and imprisonment of religious minority communities, including Uighurs Muslims, Hui Muslims, Kazakh Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, Catholics, Protestants and Falun Gong.
The statement of concern on China condemns those abuses and calls on the Chinese government to protect the religious freedom of all individuals and respect the rights of all religious groups. The statement was co-signed by Canada, Kosovo and United Kingdom.
Human rights activists have also condemned Myanmar for what they say has been a genocide against Rohingya Muslims and Kachin Christians.
A statement condemning abuses in the Rakhine, Shan and Kachin states of Myanmar was signed by 10 nations including the U.S.
A statement condemning Iran’s treatment and discrimination of Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, and Sunni and Sufi Muslims was signed by Canada, Djibouti, Kosovo, United Arab Emirates and the U.S.
4. Initiatives
Along with the documents, Vice President Mike Pence announced new U.S. government initiatives that aim to help protect religious freedom and help persecuted religious communities around the world.
During his keynote speech Thursday, Pence told the world about the creation of the new Genocide Recovery and Persecution Response Program. The program will better facilitate partnerships with community organizations, faith leaders, philanthropists and others looking to help persecuted believers around the world with the State Department and the United States Agency for International Development.