Religious Freedom
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the delivery of freedom of religion or belief work in his Department's (a) diplomatic and (b) development efforts.
Answered by Stephen Doughty
The UK is championing the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora - including our position at the United Nations (UN) and Article 18 Alliance - through our important bilateral work, working collaboratively with the Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith, and our programme funding. This includes the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's (FCDO) designated programme for FoRB-focused projects overseas, the John Bunyan Fund (JBF).
The JBF supports a range of projects aimed at protecting and promoting FoRB. The FCDO works to ensure that Official Development Assistance (ODA) is allocated to support those who are most vulnerable and most in need of this assistance irrespective of race, religion, or ethnicity. This includes minority religious or belief communities, who are assessed by our partners when determining those most in need of protection and assistance.
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