Author: David Burrowes, Deputy Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief

I have recently had the incredible honour of being appointed as the Prime Minister’s Deputy Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief. The promotion of freedom of religion or belief is an issue that I am passionate about and an area that the United Kingdom has a proud history of standing up for on the world stage. I am immensely proud to take up this work and to support the implementation of the Truro Report. I will be working alongside the excellent Fiona Bruce MP, who as the PM’s Special Envoy, has already done so much incredible work to ensure that religious freedoms remain a top priority within UK foreign policy.

In the UK, we are fortunate that we have the freedom to worship or follow our beliefs without fear of persecution. Yet around the world, this is still a dream for millions. The charity Open Doors, who campaign for religious freedoms around the world, said in their latest report that 360 million Christians around the world face persecution for simply choosing to follow their own faith. We have already seen increased persecution of those in countries such as Afghanistan where the new oppressive regime have been cracking down on freedom of religion or belief. Sadly, under the cloak of the COVID pandemic, discrimination against those who practice their faith or belief has increased, with the closure of places of worship and suspension of services.

Even though the situation may seem difficult, I am confident that the UK is and will continue to be, a force for good on the world stage as the government uses its excellent soft power tools such as positions on global institutions and forums, its international development budget and its global reputation as a convening power to bring states and groups around the table to help defend basic human rights. Last year during the G7 conference, the UK ensured that protecting freedom of religion or belief was a key element of the final communique. This was not only important in itself, but crucial in ensuring the newly elected US President was also committed to this cause on the world stage. This is UK leadership in action.

This year on 5th and 6th July, the United Kingdom will be hosting a conference to support freedom of religion or belief as a human right for everyone, everywhere. It will bring together Governments, NGOs and those who have fled from religious persecution to see what more can be done internationally to defend this foundational freedom. Following from previous conferences, Fiona and I are working to ensure that the conference invites those who do promote religious tolerance but also looks to engage those who do not. The UK has a significant soft-power tool-kit at its disposal and must use everything possible to help secure human rights around the world. The UK can also use its international development expertise to help educate and promote democratic values of freedom of belief.

Overall, we have a great deal to be proud of in this country in terms of the way in which we project our values around the world. The UK has an incredible network of diplomats and soft power tools at our disposal to forward the promotion of human rights. I look forward to working alongside Fiona Bruce with MPs, NGOs and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as well as wider Government efforts to ensure that this important issue can be promoted in all forums. We all have a part to play in defending this fundamental human right, which is why with Fiona we have launched the EndThePersecution.uk campaign. Let’s ensure the UK is at the forefront of this campaign to allow all peoples around the world to worship and manifest their faith or belief in peace and safety.