Declaration
172. We welcome the initiative of the UN Secretary General in convening the Millenium
Peace Summit for World Spiritual and Religious Leaders in celebrating the 20th anniversary of
the UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance Based on Religion or Belief
and look forward to the full implementation of its conclusions by all States.
173. We recognize that some religious communities and institutions have acknowledged their
historical complicity in perpetrating the ground for, or reinforcing colonization, apartheid, the
Slave Trade and slavery, and call for all other concerned religious institutions to undertake the
same action to declare and denounce racism and racial discrimination as immoral and inhumane.
174. The freedom of expression, thought, conscience, religion and belief without any
distinction, exclusion or restriction or preference should form the basis on which States protect
the right of individuals and groups to profess and practice their own religion or belief as well as
to ensure their right to effectively participate in civil, political, economic, social and cultural life.
Programme of Action
426. Welcome the initiative of the UN Secretary General in convening the Millenium Peace
Summit for World Spiritual and Religious Leaders in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the
UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance Based on Religion or Belief and
looking forward to its full implementation by all States.
427. Religious intolerance has often exacerbated systemic discrimination and racism resulting
in racial violence and intersectional systems of oppression based on, but not limited to, gender,
gender identity, sexual orientation, class and economic status, HIV/AIDS and health related
issues and abilities;
428. All States should guarantee the right to freedom of expression, thought, conscience,
religion and belief without any distinction, exclusion or restriction or preference and that States
are obliged to protect the right of individuals and groups to profess and practice their own
religion or belief as well as to ensure their right to effectively participate in civil, political,
economic, social and cultural life.
429. All States are encouraged to adopt legislation, policies and measures that fulfill the
requirements of N human rights instruments concerning freedom of religion or belief and to
employ effective mechanisms that ensure their implementation and review national legislation
that is discriminatory to religious minorities.
430. All States are encouraged to fully cooperate with the competent UN mechanisms in this
field and particularly to extend an open invitation to the UN Special Rapporteur on Religious
Intolerance and to provide the Special Rapporteur with their full support, cooperation including
access to minority religious communities and individuals.
431. The UN Commission on Human Rights is to be requested to establish a monitoring unit
on religious intolerance within the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and in
cooperation with the Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance and that such a unit is to be
adequately staffed and funded.
432. All States should take effective measures against politicization of religious institutions as
well as other areas of social and economic life, as this may lead to marginalizing dissenting
religious communities and individuals, and they should particularly ensure that women's basic
human rights are not denied or in any way limited by the use of religion or belief.
433. All States are called upon to refrain from the perpetration of religion-based intolerance
and discrimination, including when linked to race, through a systematic stereotyping of religious
minorities in the media, educational curricula and textbooks leading to their further
marginalization and distortions.
434. Religious communities and leaders are called upon to play a positive role in bringing
spiritual and ethical insights and a commitment to education to effect and promote
reconciliation, healing and liberation to address historical and present day inequalities and
discrimination;
