United States Hosts First-Ever Ministerial to Advance International Religious Freedom
On July 24–26, Secretary Pompeo hosted the first-ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom at the Department of State. The Ministerial convened leaders from around the world to discuss the challenges facing religious freedom, identify concrete means to address persecution of and discrimination against religious groups, and promote greater respect for religious liberty for all.
On July 26, Vice President Mike Pence delivered keynote remarks at the Ministerial underscoring the importance of international religious freedom and its role in American foreign policy. The Vice President said, “The right to believe or not believe is the most fundamental of freedoms. When religious freedom is denied or destroyed, we know that other freedoms are imperiled. That’s why the United States stands for religious freedom yesterday, today and always.”
Representatives of International Organizations as well as from over 80 countries who have a demonstrated record for advancing religious freedom, and a commitment to promoting Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, attended the Ministerial. Survivors or close relatives of those who suffered persecution due to their religious beliefs shared their stories.
At the Ministerial, delegations announced actions to protect and promote freedom of religion or belief and committed to host regional follow-up conferences on the topic of religious freedom. The Vice President announced the establishment of the Genocide Recovery and Persecution Response Program to “ensure that religious freedom and religious pluralism prosper across the Middle East as well.”
Secretaty Pompeo announced the State Department will host a three-day accelerator workshop called Boldline to support and scale innovative public-private partnerships that promote and defend religious freedom around the world in October 2018.
He also announced the release of the Potomac Declaration and the Potomac Plan of Action. The Secretary said, “These documents reassert the United States’ unwavering commitment to promoting and defending religious freedom. They recommend concrete ways the international community and governments can do more to protect religious freedom and vulnerable religious communities.”
The International Religious Freedom Ministerial was the first-ever of its kind. It convened more than 80 delegations, including dozens of minister-level representatives from around the world. This Ministerial demonstrates the Trump Administration’s unwavering commitment to religious freedom and its recognition that religious freedom is a fundamental American liberty. As Secretary Pompeo emphasized in his remarks, “When religious freedom flourishes, a country flourishes.”
Editor’s Note: This entry originally appeared on DipNote, the U.S. Department of State’s official blog.
