An Embattled Right:
Protecting and Promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief
12 – 14
September 2016, Berlin, Germany
- Save the date -
Last year, the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB), the Konrad-
Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) and the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag hosted the First
International Parliamentarians’ Conference on “Multinational Efforts to Promote Freedom of Religion or Belief”.
Nearly 100 parliamentarians from over 45 countries participated in this conference that took place in New York in
September 2015.
The IPPFoRB, the KAS and the CDU/CSU-Parliamentary Group have the honour to invite you to the Second
International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the promotion of Religious Freedom or Belief. The conference will
be held under the title “An Embattled Right: Protecting and Promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief” and will
take place from 12 to 14 September 2016 in Berlin, Germany.
International commitments under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) are clear that
freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental right to be enjoyed by all. Yet these rights are increasingly under
pressure. The conference will focus on multifaceted approaches for parliamentarians to defend and enhance
Freedom of Religion or Belief. Speakers of the conference will be parliamentarians, renowned experts in the field
of religious freedom or belief as well as representatives of civil society, academia and the media.
During the conference in New York in 2015 and the preceding IPPFoRB-founding event in Oslo in 2014,
participants underlined the importance of Article 18: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience
and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in
community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship
and observance”. In order to continue on this road, we assume that all participants of this year’s conference
support the entire meaning of Article 18 and are supportive of the IPPFoRB’s founding charter enclosed.
The organisers will be able to grant assistance with travel and accommodation for a limited number of
participants from non-OECD countries. In making their decisions on grant assistance the organisers will work to
ensure geographical and religious diversity. Please let the IPPFoRB Secretariat ([email protected]) know
when registering for this event if you need financial assistance with travel and accommodation.
We very much hope we will have the opportunity to welcome you to Berlin in September!
Yours
Baroness Elizabeth Berridge of the
Vale of Catmose
International Panel of
Parliamentarians on Freedom of
Religion or Belief
D. Hans-Gert Pöttering
President of the
European Parliament ret.
Chairman of the Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung
Volker Kauder
Chairman of the CDU/CSU-
Parliamentary Group in the
German Bundestag