Religious Freedom in the International Practice

Abstract

In the general context of a growing attention devoted to religion in world politics, religious freedom is becoming increasingly relevant. A plethora of “reports” on religious freedom are released regularly by governments, international institutions, special rapporteurs and religious bodies.

In general, there are four major issues related to reporting on religious freedom: the definition of standards, the nature of the actors involved (both as observers and observed), legitimacy, and the policy consequences (changes in bilateral and multilateral relations, “reciprocity”, sanctions and travel advice).

Legitimacy is the crucial test that most reporting activities on religious freedom fail to pass. In particular, “national” or “confessional” reports are strongly contested, whereas reporting initiatives performed by international organizations receive broader acceptance.