Religion and Human Rights: Basic Documents

Basic Religion and Human Rights Documents (Stahnke & Martin, 1998)

The Religion and Law Research Consortium gratefully acknowledges permission to make the contents of Religion and Human Rights: Basic Documents (Tad A. Stahnke and J. Paul Martin, Center for the Study of Human Rights, Columbia University, 1998) available online The book is an extremely useful compendium of major international documents dealing with freedom of religion or belief. The Table of Contents of the book is provided below, with links to the documents.

INTRODUCTION: UNITED NATIONS REPORTS

1. 1. Arcot Krishnaswami: Study of Discrimination in the Matter of Religion

PART I

THE INTERNATIONAL BILL OF RIGHTS

1. 1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
   2. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966)
   3. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
   4. Optional Protocal to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)

PART II

THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS OF HUMAN RIGHTS RELATED TO RELIGION AND BELIEF

THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE

1. 1. General Comment No. 18 (37) on Non-Discrimination (1989)
   2. General Comment No. 22 (48) on Article 18 (1993)
   3. General Comment No. 11 (19) on Article 20 (1983)
   4. General Comment No. 23 (50) on Article 27 (1994)

THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF INTOLERANCE AND OF DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RELIGION OR BELIEF

1. 1. United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief (1981)

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTS: SELECTED PROVISIONS ON RIGHTS RELATED TO RELIGION AND BELIEF

1. 1. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948)
   2. UNESCO Convention Against Discrimination in Education [Selections] (1960)
   3. International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination [Selections] (1965)

      Note: The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

   4. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) [Selections] (1979)

      Note: The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women

   5. CEDAW General Recommendation 21 on Equality in Marriage and Family Relations [Selections] (1994)
   6. Convention on the Rights of the Child [Selections] (1989)

      Note: The Committee on the Rights of the Child

   7. Draft United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples [Selections] (1994)

      Note: The Rights of Indigenous Peoples

   8. European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the First Protocol [Selections] (1950)
   9. American Convention on Human Rights [Selections] (1969)
   10. African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights [Selections] (1981)
   11. Helsinki Final Act 1975 1(a) [Selections] (1975)
   12. Concluding Document of the Vienna Meeting of Representatives of the Participating States of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe [Selections] (1986)
   13. Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension [Selections] (1990)

PART III

DOCUMENTS ON THE RIGHTS OF RELIGIOUS MINORITIES

1. 1. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (1993)
   2. Council of Europe: Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (1995)
   3. Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Document on the Copenhagen Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension [Selections] (1990)
   4. Report of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe on the Meeting of Experts on National Minorities(1991)

PART IV

SELECTED GOVERNMENT AND RELIGIOUS DOCUMENTS ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

THE ORGANIZATIONS OF THE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE

1. 1. The Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (The Organization of the Islamic Conference) (1990)

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

1. 1. A Bill Establishing a Provision for Teachers of the Christian Religion (The United States of American) (1784)
   2. James Madison: Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments (The United States of American (1785)
   3. Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (The United States of American) (1786)

THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

1. 1. Document 19: The Basic Viewpoint and Policy on the Religious Question During Our Country’s Socialist Period [Selections] (The People’s Republic of China) (1982)

THE BAPTIST WORLD ALLIANCE

1. 1. Manifesto on Religious Freedom (The Baptist World Alliance) (1947)

THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

1. 1. Declaration on Religious Liberty (The World Council of Churches) (1948)

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

1. 1. Declaration on Religious Freedom ? Dignitatis Humanae (The Catholic Church) (1965)

PART V

SELECTED DOCUMENTS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE AND RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: THE HOLY SEE

1. 1. Fundamental Agreement Between the Holy See and the State of Israel (1993)
   2. Agreement Between the Italian Republic and the Holy See (1984)

THE EXAMPLE OF SPAIN

1. Agreements Between the Spanish State and the Holy See [Selections] (1976, 1979)
2. Religious Liberty Law of 5 July 1980
3. Cooperation Agreement Between the Spanish State and the Islamic Commission of Spain (1992)