THE TANDEM PROJECT
UNITED NATIONS, HUMAN RIGHTS,
FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF
Separation of Religion or Belief and State
NETHERLANDS
First Session U.N. Human Rights Council Universal
Periodic Review (7-18 April, 2008)
UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW
Available in other languages: click here if the language box does not display.
The
Netherlands Universal Periodic Review was held by the UN Human Rights
Council on Tuesday 15 April 2008 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. This link
will access these reports in the Netherlands Universal Periodic Review: National
Report; Compilation of UN Information; Summary of Stakeholders Information;
Questions Submitted in Advance; Report of the Working Group; Related Web cast
Archives.
Web
Cast: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/nlsession1.aspx
Archives:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/NLWebArchives.aspx
The
Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process launched by the UN Human
Rights Council in 2008 to review the human rights obligations and
responsibilities of all UN Member States by 2011. Click for an Introduction to
the Universal Periodic Review, Process and News:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/UPRMain.aspx
Excerpts:
“Responsibility for developing and
implementing policies against discrimination and racism in the Netherlands has
largely been delegated by the national government to local authorities.
Research carried out by Amnesty International indicates that fewer than 10 per
cent of municipal authorities have addressed discrimination and racism at a
local level by adopting general policies or action plans. Fewer than 20 per
cent of municipal authorities have developed policies to combat discrimination
and racism in specific areas of concern, such as law enforcement, employment or
education.”
The Tandem Project Follow-up recommends the Netherlands develop integrated model
approaches to international human rights standards on freedom of religion or
belief in municipal governments, public and religious schools, non-governmental
organizations and places of worship as called for by the 1981 UN Declaration: 4.
1 All States shall take effective measures to prevent and eliminate
discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief in the recognition,
exercise and enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms in all fields
of civil, economic, political, social and cultural life. 4. 2 All
States shall make all efforts to enact or rescind legislation where necessary
to prohibit any such discrimination, and to take all appropriate measures to
combat intolerance on the grounds of religion or other beliefs in this matter.
Such measures would include action programs on integration, dialogue and
education, as part of the four year follow-up to the Netherlands Universal
Periodic Review.
The
25 Year Commemoration of the 1981 U.N. Declaration on the Elimination of All
Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, was held
in Prague, the Czech Republic in 2006. Plenary addresses were by Mr. Piet de
Klerk, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations
in New York, then Netherlands Ambassador-at-large for Human Rights; and the UN
Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Asma Jahangir
(Attachment).
For
UN Member States, with ideological differences on defamation of religion and
the right to change a religion or belief, it is fundamental to world peace and
security to achieve consensus between deeply-held religious beliefs and the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Attachment).
Attachments: Netherlands Universal Periodic Review &
Freedom of Religion or Belief; 25 Year Anniversary of the 1981 UN Declaration;
Mandate on Freedom of Religion or Belief Adopted without Consensus; Vote on
Defamation of Religion.