World News | UK to Host Global Summit on Freedom of Religion, Belief

London, Nov 24 (PTI) The UK government has announced plans to host a global summit to promote freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in July 2022 in London to boost international efforts to tackle persecution.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said Tuesday the two-day summit on July 5 and 6 will drive collective action in promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities around the world.

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The aim is to bring together international governments and faith leaders to ensure everyone, everywhere can practise their own religion or belief freely.

“I want all people, everywhere, to be free from discrimination and persecution regardless of their opinions and beliefs,” UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said.

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“We have used our G7 Presidency this year to defend and advance these fundamental freedoms and will build on that next year when we host friends and partners from across the world,” she said.

The FCDO said the conference will play a key role in shaping the network of liberty the UK, as a fierce champion of freedom, is building around the world. The London summit follows previous FoRB events held by the US and Poland.

In February 2020, the UK became a co-founding member of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance and in May this year, under its G7 presidency, the UK said it secured – for the very first time – the inclusion of FoRB issues in the communique to the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' Meeting.

“The UK continues to take any form of human rights abuses and violations extremely seriously, which is why we are laying the foundations for further global action to protect and promote freedom of religion or belief for all. International collaboration is the only way to bring about real change,” FCDO Minister Lord Tariq Ahmad said.

Fiona Bruce MP, the UK's Special Envoy for FoRB, added: “The conference will be a pivotal opportunity to engage with our international partners to ensure that the rights of all individuals, regardless of their religion or belief, are fully protected and respected, no matter where they are in the world, without fear of prejudice or persecution.”

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)