«We all have within us a centre of stillness surrounded by silence. This house (United Nations), dedicated to work and debate in the service of peace, should have one room dedicated to silence in the outward sense and stillness in the inner sense. It has been the aim to create in this small room a place where the doors may open to the infinite lands of thought and prayer.»

Dag Hammerskjold Former United Nations Secretary General

Who we are

Honorary Committee
Members of the Honorary Committee


  • Jean BAUBÉROT, university professor, Honorary President of the Ecole Practique des Hautes Etudes at the Sorbonne, France
  • Beverly Bert BEACH, former Secretary General Emeritus of the International Religious Liberty Association, United States
  • Heiner BIELEFELDT, former UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief, professor of Human Rights at the University of Erlangen Nuremberg, Germany
  • Reinder BRUINSMA, writer, university professor, Netherlands
  • Jaime CONTRERAS, university professor, Spain
  • Alberto DE LA HERA, former Director General of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Spain
  • Ganoune DIOP, Secretary General of the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA)
  • Petru DUMITRIU, former UN Inspector, former Ambassador and Permanent Observer of the Council of Europe to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland
  • W. Cole DURHAM Jr, Director of the International Center for Law and Religious Studies at J. Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, United States
  • Silvio FERRARI, university professor, University of Milan and Catholic University of Leuven
  • Alain GARAY, lawyer at the Court of Paris and researcher at the University of Aix-Marseille, France John GRAZ, Director of the International Center for Religious Liberty and Public Affairs
  • Alberto F. GUAITA, Vice-President of the AIDLR, Spain
  • Ambassador Mussie HAILU, Regional Director for Africa and United Religions Initiative Representative at the UN and the African Union, ECA & UN Office in Africa and Geneva
  • José ITURMENDI, university professor, Honorary Dean of the Faculty of Law, Universidad Complutense Madrid, Spain
  • Jónatas MACHADO, professor, Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra, Portugal, Portugal
  • Francesco MARGIOTTA BROGLIO, university professor, President of the Italian Commission for Religious Freedom, Representative of Italy to UNESCO, Italy
  • Rosa María MARTÍNEZ DE CODES, university Professor (UCM), Vice President of the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA)
  • Jacques ROBERT, French jurist, university professor, former member of the Constitutional Council, France
  • Jaime ROSSELL GRANADOS, former Deputy Director at the Ministry of Justice, Spain, Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Extremadura, Spain
  • Joaquín Mantecón SANCHO, university professor, former Director of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Spain
  • Robert SEIPLE, former Ambassador for international religious freedom,, Department of State, United States
  • José Miguel SERRANO RUIZ-CALDERÓN, Professor of Jurisprudence, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
  • Rik TORFS, Rector of the University of Leuven, Belgium
  • José Eduardo VERA JARDIM, President of the Portuguese Religious Liberty Commission
  • Maurice VERFAILLIE, former Secretary General of the AIDLR, Switzerland
  • Bruno VERTALLIER, former President of the AIDLR, Switzerland