Addressing religious intolerance: the challenges, opportunities and needs of religious or belief communities

Across the OSCE region, people from diverse religious or belief communities continue to face intolerance and discrimination, including prejudice, exclusion and hate crimes. These challenges not only affect the security of the targeted groups, but also their ability to freely exercise the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. If not addressed, this intolerance can create or deepen societal divisions and polarization, undermining the security of everyone in society.

This event will bring together representatives of diverse religious or belief communities to share their experiences, explore common concerns and identify ways to strengthen mutual respect and understanding. This will complement previous discussions related to the challenges, opportunities, and needs of Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the OSCE region. Participants will explore their communities’ experiences of intolerance and, in particular, hate crime and examine strategies to address the security needs of religious or belief communities and build more inclusive societies.

The meeting will also highlight the positive contributions of these communities to social cohesion, peace and security. The discussions will inform ODIHR’s work on supporting participating States to address intolerance and protect freedom of religion or belief.

Participation in this event is by invitation only. Please check ODIHR’s social media platforms for further information and updates.