On February 4, 2016, the European
Parliament, as the second international institution, adopted a
resolution that formally recognized the systematic mass murder of
religious minorities by Daesh as genocide. The resolution, among other
things, urged "the members of the UN Security Council to support a
referral by the Security Council to the International Criminal Court in
order to investigate violations committed in Iraq and Syria" perpetrated
by Daesh. The resolution further called for the creation of a new
mechanism of a special representative for the promotion of religious
freedom.
On May 6, 2016, President of the European Commission, Mr Jean-Claude Juncker, announced that Mr Jan Figel was appointed as the first Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU (EU Special Envoy on FoRB) with a mandate for one year, which is renewable.
Over the recent years, and having had his mandate renewed twice, the EU Special Envoy on FoRB has been supporting the implementation of the "EU Guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief." He has been conducting country visits to engage a wide range of actors working at the national and international level, including governmental bodies, religious leaders, civil society, human rights organisations, and the affected communities. Furthermore, as the European Parliament’s page identified: "At the core of his work lays the promotion of respect for diversity on religious or belief grounds and the support for inclusive intercultural and interreligious dialogue processes. In his work, the Special Envoy is committed to an approach based on the protection of all human rights including freedom of religion or belief, the right to believe or not to believe."
On September 4, 2018, the European Parliament Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Religious Tolerance launched its FoRB Annual Report 2017. The report comments upon the work done by the EU on the issue of freedom of religion or belief outside of the EU and highlights the ways in which the EU can be more effective in promoting the protection of the right for all. The report further explains its vision on how the mandate of the EU Special Envoy on FoRB could be strengthened to achieve this aim.
Establishing the mandate of the EU Special Envoy on FoRB has been a historic development at the European Parliament. However, the mandate needs more powers to be able to better serve the needs of the topic, especially in the age of the ever-growing religious persecution worldwide.
Read more: To Address Religious Persecution The Mechanism Of The EU Special Envoy On FoRB Needs More Teeth
On May 6, 2016, President of the European Commission, Mr Jean-Claude Juncker, announced that Mr Jan Figel was appointed as the first Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU (EU Special Envoy on FoRB) with a mandate for one year, which is renewable.
Over the recent years, and having had his mandate renewed twice, the EU Special Envoy on FoRB has been supporting the implementation of the "EU Guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief." He has been conducting country visits to engage a wide range of actors working at the national and international level, including governmental bodies, religious leaders, civil society, human rights organisations, and the affected communities. Furthermore, as the European Parliament’s page identified: "At the core of his work lays the promotion of respect for diversity on religious or belief grounds and the support for inclusive intercultural and interreligious dialogue processes. In his work, the Special Envoy is committed to an approach based on the protection of all human rights including freedom of religion or belief, the right to believe or not to believe."
On September 4, 2018, the European Parliament Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Religious Tolerance launched its FoRB Annual Report 2017. The report comments upon the work done by the EU on the issue of freedom of religion or belief outside of the EU and highlights the ways in which the EU can be more effective in promoting the protection of the right for all. The report further explains its vision on how the mandate of the EU Special Envoy on FoRB could be strengthened to achieve this aim.
Establishing the mandate of the EU Special Envoy on FoRB has been a historic development at the European Parliament. However, the mandate needs more powers to be able to better serve the needs of the topic, especially in the age of the ever-growing religious persecution worldwide.
Read more: To Address Religious Persecution The Mechanism Of The EU Special Envoy On FoRB Needs More Teeth
