Report of the United States on the First Meeting of Experts to Promote Implementation of the United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution

At the invitation of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, representatives of 26 governments and four international organizations met in Washington, D.C. on December 12-14, 2011 to discuss the implementation of United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution (UNHRC) 16/18 on "Combating Intolerance, Negative Stereotyping and Stigmatization of, and Discrimination, Incitement to Violence and Violence Against, Persons Based on Religion or Belief." In her closing remarks, Secretary Clinton stressed, The United States is hosting this conference because religious freedom and freedom of expression are among our highest values. They are enshrined in our Constitution. For people everywhere, faith and religious practice is a central source of our identity. It provides our lives with meaning and context. It is fundamental to who we are.The implementation meeting focused on two elements of the steps set forth in Resolution 16/18: 1) prohibiting discrimination based on religion or belief and 2) training government officials, including on how to implement effective outreach to religious communities. Participants agreed that their task was to keep the discussion focused on implementing the specific steps called for in Resolution 16/18, rather than broadening the dialogue to other possible measures not included in the resolution. Presenters and participants in the interactive sessions were law enforcement and anti-discrimination experts. Presenters included experts from invited countries and international organizations, as well as personnel from the United States Departments of Homeland Security and Justice. Discussions were held under Chatham House Rule in order to promote a free and candid exchange of views. Accordingly, while this report reflects accurately the points made and best practices described by all participants, approval was sought before attributing specific remarks to particular participants. The sessions produced a rich exchange of best practices, which are set forth in the body of this report. Key conclusions for policy makers include the following: