OSCE/ODIHR hosts meeting on legal personality of religious or belief communities with civil society and state authorities from Central Asia
The legal personality of religious or belief communities in the Central Asia region was the focus of an event organized jointly by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Regional Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for Central Asia, on 20 April 2015 in Bishkek.
The event brought together some 50 representatives of state authorities, religious or belief communities and civil society organizations from across the Central Asia region to discuss the Guidelines on the Legal Personality of Religious or Belief Communities, developed jointly by ODIHR and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission. During the conference, participants discussed the Guidelines and their relevance in the region, as well as opportunities to implement them by those involved in drafting and applying legislation.
“The Guidelines contain minimum international standards and good practices in the area of recognition of religious or belief communities,” said Omer Fisher, Deputy Head of the ODIHR Human Rights Department. “They aim to provide guidance to states on ensuring voluntary access to legal personality for religious or belief communities in a manner that is compliant with international human rights standards.”
“The Guidelines have particular importance for faith communities in Central Asia as, in this region, religious groups are usually required to register in order to exercise their rights and freedoms,” said Galina Kolodzinskaya, Executive Director of the Interfaith Council Public Association in Kyrgyzstan.
The Guidelines focus on measures that the OSCE participating States can take in implementing their obligation to provide voluntary access to legal personality for religious or belief communities, in compliance with OSCE commitments and international standards.