Report of the three Personal Representatives on Tolerance and Non-discrimination: UK statement to the OSCE

Thank you, Mr Chair. Rabbi Baker, Ambassador Akgün and Dr Polak, welcome back to the Permanent Council, and thank you for your reports today.

The UK remains committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Defending and promoting these principles remains a longstanding human rights priority for the UK's work in multilateral organisations, including at the OSCE.

Respect for these fundamental freedoms is enshrined in the foundational texts of the OSCE because we recognise that religious intolerance and persecution fuels instability, impeding both conflict prevention and resolution. When freedom of religion or belief is respected, and interreligious dialogue is promoted, we can build trust and understanding between communities. Societies are stronger when they are inclusive - something we also see in understanding and preventing radicalisation and violent extremism, where drivers can be ideological, socio-economic, or personal.

I would like to thank Russia for paying such close attention to interfaith relations in the UK. Unfortunately, I don't have time to return the favour. The UK is a proud multi-ethnic, multi-faith democracy. We are, however, cognisant of the challenges we face. Domestically, we are seeking to address underlying causes of religious hatred while supporting all victims, including by providing funding for Tell MAMA, the leading national organisation to monitor and support victims of anti-Muslim hatred; our Protective Security for Mosques scheme; and, the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, which provides funding to the Community Security Trust, and helps keep members of the Jewish community safe.

In other words, we seek to role model the values we raise in this room, which can't be said for everyone.

As we survey the global landscape, we must be honest with ourselves about the challenges we face in protecting fundamental freedoms and promoting tolerance and non-discrimination. More countries are engaged in conflict than at any time since the Second World War - including in our own region, with Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. And since 7 October 2023, we have seen a surge in antisemitism and Islamophobia.

It is a sobering and chilling picture, but one that should lead us to double down on our shared commitments and values and ensure we learn the lessons of the past.

In this spirit, the UK is proud to hold the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) until February 2025. The theme of our presidency is "in Plain Sight", drawing attention to the fact that the Holocaust did not happen in a dark corner. During our time leading the IHRA, we have focused on safeguarding remembrance of the Holocaust, tackling distortion and securing the narrative for the future.

In October, we were pleased to work with you Rabbi Baker on the Holocaust Distortion and Education Conference in Bucharest, which we co-hosted with the OSCE, US and host country Romania. This provided a timely opportunity to examine the impact of emerging technologies on Holocaust denial and distortion.

As I said, we are also taking action to support Muslim communities in the UK. Islamophobia is abhorrent and the UK Government is committed to working with police and community partners to monitor and combat it. We are grateful to Ambassador Akgün for her contribution to a roundtable discussion at 10 Downing Street in London last month on anti-Muslim prejudice, the steps needed to combat it, and how we can foster greater inclusion and community cohesion.

Mr Chair, we have all seen the consequences of intolerance, discrimination and hatred and how they poison our societies. We made shared commitments to respect fundamental freedoms and prevent this from happening again. Together we can - and must - tackle this scourge.

Thank you, to all three of you for your important contributions this year.

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