The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Nazila Ghanea, visited Sweden from 11 to 20 October 2023. Her newly released report concludes that Sweden generally has the necessary legal and policy frameworks in place to protect and promote the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, or belief. However, she warns that…
Last week, the APPG on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) hosted a parliamentary event in collaboration with the Dewa Trust Foundation, examining the impact of Taliban policies on Afghan women and girls, particularly the denial of access to education. The event brought together parliamentarians, campaigners and practitioners to consider the consequences of these restrictions…
Last week, Open Doors UK & Ireland hosted a well-attended parliamentary event to mark the launch of the 2026 World Watch List, with a strong turnout from MPs across parties. It was encouraging to see so many parliamentarians present, demonstrating clear concern for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and a willingness to stand up…
Pre-Launch of the “Light the World” Campaign Jim Shannon MP and Brendan O’Hara MP joined Church and charity representatives at the pre-launch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “Light the World” campaign, an annual initiative encouraging acts of service throughout the Christmas season. Jim Shannon reflected on the season’s message of sharing…
On 25 November 2025, we brought together over 40 students, young adults and FoRB advocates to celebrate the growing momentum behind youth-led action for religious freedom. The evening highlighted the belief that young people, with energy, fresh perspectives, and commitment to justice, are essential to sustaining long-term progress on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB)….
Last week, Jim Shannon MP and the APPG FoRB met with Human rights advocates to discuss the protection of the Falun Gong community in China, exploring how we can best work to end unethical organ transplanting and transnational repression of the Falun Gong across the globe.
On Tuesday, we had our APPG FoRB stakeholder meeting, where we launched both our APPG FoRB annual stakeholder report and the Egypt report from a recent delegation. We also updated our stakeholders on the work of the APPG FoRB since September and discussed steps moving forward as to how we can be most effective in…
This week the APPG for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) joined with the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation to bring together experts and faith leaders to examine how AI impacts freedom of religion or belief. Jim Shannon MP opened the session, stressing the need for dialogue and ethics in emerging technologies. Speakers including Dr…
The APPG for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) joined with the LGBT FoRB Coalition, Humanists UK, and Sikh representatives to explore how faith, belief, and identity can coexist in harmony. Speakers including Rev. Marian Edmonds-Allen, Simran Stuelpnagel, Andrew Copson, and Prit Paal Singh shared how collaboration across differences strengthens freedom for all. From protecting…
On 21 October, Aid to the Church in Need held an event to launch its Religious Freedom in the World Report 2025 in the Houses of Parliament. We are grateful for ACN’s commitment to promoting the rights of Christians across the world and to guest speakers for their wonderful contributions.