On behalf of:

Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Yemen

We are deeply concerned about the rising incidents of desecration of sacred books, places of worship as well as religious symbols, which constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility, violence and various forms of crimes, leads to the disturbance of public order and the rise of criminality as well as represents a serious challenge to the criminal justice systems of Member States. 

We strongly condemn the recent unacceptable vile acts of targeting the Holy Quran in some Member States.

We condemn any advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence and various forms of crimes, whether it involves the use of print, audiovisual or electronic media or any other means. 

We reiterate our deep concern, expressed in the UN General Assembly Resolution 76/254, in the context of the overall rise in instances of discrimination, intolerance and violence, regardless of the actors, directed against members of many religious and other communities in various parts of the world, in particular cases motivated by Islamophobia, antisemitism and Christianophobia and prejudices against persons of other religions and beliefs. We underline the devastating and long-lasting impact caused by these dangerous provocative manifestations.

We also recall UN General Assembly Resolution A/77/L.89 on Promoting Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and Tolerance in Confronting Hate Speech which was adopted on 25/7/2023.

We stress that such virulent manifestations should be neither justified nor tolerated under the guise of freedom of expression. This delusion only misleads communities, fuels insecurities and discords, encourages intolerance, discrimination, extremism and various forms of crimes.

We reiterate that, in accordance with article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the exercise of the right of expression carries with it special duties and responsibilities, and may be subject to certain restrictions necessary for the protection of public order, health or morals. 

We call upon Member States to take all necessary measures against those, who committed these acts, as well as for the prevention of such acts in future and to adopt measures to exclude any possible form of organizing, directing, aiding, abetting or facilitating such acts. 

We underscore the need to ensure adequate responsive measures and to provide joint efforts to prevent and combat such acts by facilitating and strengthening international cooperation in criminal matters. 

We call upon Member States, the UN and all relevant UN bodies to take appropriate steps in solidarity to combat hatred against Islam or any other religion in an efficient way as well as to strengthen relevant international cooperation, including among law enforcement authorities.

We urge Member States to examine their national laws, policies, law enforcement frameworks and criminal justice systems with a view to identify gaps that may impede the prevention and prosecution of acts and advocacy of religious hatred that constitute incitement to discrimination, segregation, hostility, violence and various forms of crime, and result in the rise of criminality.

We recognize the need to increase global public awareness of the dangerous nature and negative impact of such vile acts and to ensure effective international cooperation to prevent and combat relevant crimes.