Freedom of Religion and Belief in the OSCE: challenges after September 11th

Resumen

Freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief were among the most long-standing OSCE human dimension commitments. They have been repeatedly reaffirmed and expanded substantially in subsequent OSCE documents, notably the 1989 Vienna Concluding Document and the 1990 Copenhagen Concluding Document. The responsible for fostering implementation of these commitments is the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) which established, under its auspices, an Advisory Panel of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief at the beginning of 2000. This paper will review the role and effectiveness of the Advisory Panel to construct approaches that might be undertaken by the ODIHR to advance religious freedom. First, I will analyse the commitments of the OSCE with human rights, in particular, with freedom of religion and belief (Part I and II). Secondly, I will study two Panel’s priority areas of concern: religious education and training and legal personality of religious organizations (Part III).And third, I will describe the main effects of September 11, as a turning point after which freedom of religion and belief began to be challenged, in the OSCE-participating States (Part IV). At this point, taking into consideration that in the name of countering terrorism many nationals laws have been changed, I will conclude with concrete suggestions and recommendations that the ODIHR has made regarding proper limitations on religion or belief based on “national security” (Part V).