On March the 4th, H.E. Amb. Jean-François Kammer intervened on behalf of the Order’s permanent mission. In his speech, Mr. Kammer expressed the alignment of the Order with the Special Rapporteur’s Report and called the international community to address and prevent forms of torture or ill-treatment tailored to degrade people on the basis of their religion or belief and practices.

The interventions of several countries emphasized their national legislation or constitutional protections for freedom of religion and belief, along with laws against hate speech targeting religious groups. Many also addressed the use of religion in conflict and the connection between religious discrimination, coercion, and torture. Ukraine and Azerbaijan highlighted the link between conflict and religious discrimination, while others raised concerns about rising antisemitism driven by current conflicts. Afghanistan pointed to the misuse of religion as a tool for discriminating against women and minorities. The United Kingdom criticized South Sudan for using education as a means of religious coercion, an accusation South Sudan denied. Finally, the Special Rapporteur reaffirmed the importance of supporting victims, ensuring they know their rights, maintaining institutional independence, facilitating the return of deceased persons’ bodies, and protecting vulnerable minorities from religious discrimination.