«Freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental right which is part of the foundation of the European Union. The persistent persecution of religious and ethnic minorities makes protecting and promoting this freedom inside and outside the EU all the more essential.»

H.E. Jean Claude Juncker President of the European Commission

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Meeting of the AIDLR EU Country Directors



Lisbon, 6th February 2023

The heads of the AIDLR national sections in Europe met in Lisbon, Portugal, on the occasion of the International Conference "Religion and Freedom of Expression" held on 7-8 February and organised by AIDLR.

The session was chaired by AIDLR President Mario Brito and Secretary General Paulo Macedo, and counted with Dr. Ganoune Diop, Secretary-General of IRLA, International Religious Liberty Association and Dr. John Graz, Director of CILRAP, Centre International pour la Liberté Religieuse et les Affaires Publiques, as special speakers.

Directors representing the following countries attended the meeting: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland and we were also joined by leaders from Ireland and the United Kingdom.

According to some of the participants, these meetings are good because they help to share the work being done in each territory and to learn first-hand about the challenges of religious freedom in each country. They also create links that give the possibility of working together.