The Thirteenth Annual International Law and Religion Symposium, “The 1981 U.N. Declaration on Religious Tolerance and Non-Discrimination: Implementing Its Principles After Twenty-Five Years,” 1-2 October 2006

This Thirteenth Annual International Law and Religion Symposium celebrated and examined the 1981 U.N. Declaration and its effect in the twenty-five years since its adoption. Participants from Africa, Asia, North and South America, Europe, and the Pacific pooled ideas and concerns about how successfully the aspirations of religious freedom in the 1981 Declaration have been implemented. The conference started with stirring opening remarks by Robert A. Seiple, President, Council for America’s First Freedom and former Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom for the United States of America and Michael K. Young, President, University of Utah and former Chair, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. 91 participants from 39 countries addressed topics such as “Implementing the 1981 Declaration: Challenges and Best Practices,” “Religion, Culture and Globalization,” and “The Role of the Judiciary in Implementing the 1981 Declaration.” After the conference, some participants further developed their papers, which were then published in the annual law and religion symposium issue of the BYU Law Review. The Center’s Distinguished Service Award was presented to Robert A. Seiple.