Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to integrate freedom of religion or belief into their broader foreign policy and international development strategies

The UK remains committed to championing freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all. In December 2024, I detailed five Human Rights priorities including defending the rights of people belonging to vulnerable and marginalised groups. By championing FoRB for all, we are fighting back against the threats so many people face for simply what they do, or do not, believe in.

Working with the Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith MP, we are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our multilateral and bilateral engagement. Where FoRB is under attack, other rights are often threatened too. Our policy is to defend the full range of rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in international human rights treaties to which we are a state party - including FoRB. We work to fully integrate human rights across our wider policy and development agendas to support meaningful change on the ground.