«I am keen to address emerging and existing concerns that fall within the scope of the mandate, and to focus on the implementation of international norms and standards, engaging with a wide variety of stakeholders in an open and inclusive manner.»

Dr. Ahmed Shaheed Special Rapporteur of the United Nations on Freedom of Religion or Belief

GENEVA 2016

Global Summit on «Religion, Peace and Security»
Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies by fostering religious freedom and preventing violent extremism and atrocity crimes

Promoter and Coordinator:

Dr. Liviu Olteanu, Secretary General of the AIDLR, Doctor of Law on United Nations Diplomacy in Action for Protecting Human Rights and Religious Liberty

Co-Organizer:

Mr. Adama Dieng, Under Secretary-General, United Nations Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide

Panel Discussion Keynotes

Day 1

Official Opening
Opening Remarks

Moderator: H.E. Alvaro Albacete, Deputy Secretary General for External Relations at the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), Vienna

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Adama DIENG
United Nations Under-Secretary General, Special Adviser of the UN Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide
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Dr. Liviu OLTEANU
Secretary General of the International Association for the Defense of Religious Liberty
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Heiner BIELEFELDT
Former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief (by video conference)
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H.E. Ms. Belén ALFARO
Ambassador in Special Mission for the Alliance of Civilizations and Interreligious Dialogue, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Spain
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Béla SZOMBATI
Head of the Human Rights Section, Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations in Geneva
Panel 1
The current status of affairs: challenges to peace, security and human rights, with focus on the right to freedom of religion and belief

Moderated by: H.E. Ms. Beatriz Londoño Soto, Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva.

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H.E. Álvaro ALBACETE
Deputy Secretary General for External Relations at the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), Vienna
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Asher MAOZ
Dean Perez Academic Center, Law School, Shimon Perez University, Israel
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H.E. Shaykh Muhammad AL-YAQOUBI
Syrian Islamic scholar and religious leader
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Tahir MAHMOOD
Distinguished Jurist Chair, Professor of Eminence and Chairman of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Amity University, Former Chairman National Minorities Commission, India
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Valeriu GHILETCHI
Member of the Parliament of Moldova and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in the Committees on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights, Equality and Non-Discrimination
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Ricardo GARCIA-GARCIA
Former Deputy Director in the Ministry of Justice of Spain on relations with religions and churches, current Vice-Rector General of Strategic Planning of the Catholic University of Valencia
Panel 2
The current status of affairs: best practices and lessons learned in fostering freedom of religion and belief

Moderated by: Simona Cruciani, Political Affairs Officer, United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect.

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Fatos ARACI
Deputy Section Registrar, Registry of the European Court of Human Rights, Strasbourg
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Rehmah KASULE
Founder and President of Century Entrepreneurship Development Agency International, Uganda
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Eduardo VERA JARDIM
President of the Portuguese Religious Liberty Commission
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Bishop Duleep DeCHICKERA
Colombo (Sri Lanka), Member of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, World Council of Churches
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Rabbi Michael MELCHIOR
Chairman of the Mosaica Center for Religious Conflict Transformation in the Middle East, Chief Rabbi of Norway, Rabbi in Jerusalem, Former Cabinet Minister in the Israeli Cabinet
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Alberto GUAITA
Former President of the Union Adventista Espanola, President of the “Asociación para la Defensa de Libertad Religiosa” of Spain
Books release
First book: «History of Liberty and Respect for Differences»
Second book: «Agents and Ambassadors for Peace. Promoting freedom of religion and freedom of expression against violence in the name of religion»

Moderated by: Mario Brito, President of the International Association for the Defense of Religious Liberty (AIDLR)

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Bruno VERTALLIER
Former President of the International Association for the Defense of Religious Liberty, Bern
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Harald MUELLER
Judge in Hannover, Germany
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Harry KUHALAMPI
Adviser of Member of European Parliament Hannu Takula, Brussels
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Juan Antonio MARTINEZ
Director of Department of Philosophy of Law, professor of the Law Faculty, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Day 2

Panel 3
The migrant and refugee crisis: challenges from the perspective of promoting peace, security and human rights, with particular focus on freedom of religion and belief

Moderated by: H.E. Belen Alfaro, Ambassador in Special Mission for Alliance of Civilizations and Interreligious Dialogue, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Spain

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Adama DIENG
Under Secretary General, United Nations Special Adviser to the Secretary General on Prevention of Genocide, New York, United States of America
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Sow SIDIBE
Professor of Law, Cofounder African Promotion of Women Workers and Director Institute for Human Rights and Peace, University of Dakar
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Christian MOLKE
Executive Director of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Germany, Coordinator project in Greece in behalf of Yezidis
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Jose Luis BAZAN
from Brussels Belgium, Legal Adviser for Migration and Asylum and Religious Freedom, Secretary of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community (COMECE)
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Antonio Eduard NISTOR
Philosopher and theologian, President of the Foundation “Pro Vivere Dignum”
Panel 4
The “Dialogue Five” framework: cooperation and coordination

Moderated by: Adama Dieng, Under Secretary-General United Nations Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide

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Aziza BAROUD
Religious leader and Member of Parliament, Chad
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Elisa María NUÑEZ
Director of the Vice-chancellor, Catholic University of Valencia
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Ibrahim SALAMA
Director of Human Rights Treaties Division, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
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Jan FIGEL
European Union Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief outside the European Union
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Alexey KOSHEMYAKOV
Visiting Professor of Universities of Moscow, former Head Department of National Minorities & Antidiscrimination, Council of Europe
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Kishan MANOCHA
Senior Adviser on Freedom of Religion and Belief, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR)
Panel 5
Changing mindsets: best practices and lessons learned

Moderated by: Norbert Zens, Treasurer and Member of the Board of Directors of the International Association for the Defense of Religious Liberty (AIDLR), Bern, Switzerland

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Diane ALA'I
Representative of the Baha’I at the United Nations in Geneva
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Susan KERR
Europe Advocacy Manager, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Brussels
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Soares LOJA
Vice-President Portugal Commission of Freedom of Religion or Belief
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Jose Miguel SERRANO
Professor at the University Complutense, Madrid, Spain
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Hajar AL-KADDO
Programmes Manager for Human Appeal International - Turkey Mission and Board of Trustees of the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organizations (FEMYSO)
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Jose Luis SANCHEZ
Vice-Rector of Catholic University Valencia
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Nelu BURCEA
Director Associate of the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA), Washington D.C.
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Robert F. ORTON
LDS Charities and International Center for Law & Religion Studies
Panel 6
The role of international diplomacy and education in promoting respect for freedom of religion and belief

Moderated by: H.E. Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See at the United Nations in Geneva

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H.E. Belén ALFARO
Ambassador in Special Mission for Alliance of Civilizations and Interreligious Dialogue, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Spain
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Jan FIGEL
European Union (EU) Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief outside the EU
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Abdulaziz ALMUZAINI
Director of the Liaison Office and UNESCO Representative to the United Nations, Geneva
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Kyriaki TOPIDI
Senior Lecturer /Associate Director of the Center for Comparative Constitutional Law & Religion School of Law, University of Lucerne, Switzerland
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Lord Singh of WIMBLEDON
House of Lords, United Kingdom
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Academician Traian C. DRAGOMIR
former Ambassador of Romania at Paris
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Dr. Liviu OLTEANU
Secretary General of the International Association for the Defense of Religious Liberty

Day 3

Panel 7
Complementarity with the Sustainable Development Goals: how the Sustainable Development Goals can support the international debate on fostering religious freedom, preventing discrimination, violence and atrocity crimes

Moderated by: Michael Wiener, Human Rights Officer, Rule of Law and Democracy Section, Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights

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Azza KARAM
Senior Advisor on Culture, United Nations Population Fund, New York
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Edla PUOSKARI
Network Coordinator for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, Helsinki Finland
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Bishop Thomas SCHIRRMACHER
President International Council, International Society of Human Rights, Director International Institute for Religious Freedom, Bonn, Germany
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Ulrich NITSCHKE
Head of Sector Programme Values, Religion and Development, Head of PaRD Secretariat/ International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development
Summary
Summary of main findings by the rapporteurs of the panels

Moderated by: Simona Cruciani, Political Affairs Officer, United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect

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Hajar AL-KADDO
UProgrammes Manager for Human Appeal International - Turkey Mission and Board of Trustees of the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organizations (FEMYSO)
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Azza KARAM
Senior Advisor on Culture, United Nations Population Fund
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Diane ALA'I
Representative of the Baha’I at the United Nations in Geneva
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Kyriaki TOPIDI
Senior Lecturer /Associate Director of the Center for Comparative Constitutional Law and Religion, School of Law, University of Lucerne, Switzerland
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Antonio Eduard NISTOR
President “Pro Vivere Dignum” Foundation
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Kishan MANOCHA
Senior Adviser on Freedom of Religion and Belief at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR)
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Gabriel MAURER
Director Donators Relations at Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Switzerland
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Susan KERR
Europe Advocacy Manager, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Brussels
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Aziza BAROUD
Religious leader and Member of Parliament, Chad
Concluding Remarks
Closing Ceremony
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Adama DIENG
United Nations Under-Secretary General, Special Adviser of the UN Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide
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Liviu OLTEANU
Secretary General of the AIDLR, Editor of the book, Organizer and Co-Director of the International Conference