Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to emphasise adherence to fundamental freedoms of religion and association as part of the UK's foreign policy.

Promoting and protecting the freedom of religion or belief is a priority for UK foreign policy. We pursue it in our bilateral work and lobbying of other Governments, and through our human rights programme funding. We have also stepped up training in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on the influence of faith, in many parts of the world, on governments, communities and individuals.

Our work is based on the full definition of freedom of religion or belief as set out in article 18 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This includes the right to manifest your faith, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, through teaching, practice, worship and observance.

The FCO Minister responsible for freedom of religion or belief, the Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi, has convened meetings of international leaders to generate support for practical steps to promote freedom of religion or belief and to fight religious intolerance. At the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, Baroness Warsi chaired a dialogue between political and faith leaders, and supported a separate non-governmental organization (NGO)-led event, to explore the role faith groups play, and to enlist their support for the objectives of the summit.

Freedoms of association and peaceful assembly, enshrined in both the Universal Declaration and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, are fundamental for democratic societies, where people must be able to gather (formally or informally), to express themselves, and to have a meaningful say in issues that affect them. Though these rights are not among the FCO's six thematic human rights priorities, they feature prominently in our dialogue with individual countries and in international fora about governance, the rule of law and human rights in general.