2012 Report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Heiner Bielefeldt: Elimination of all Forms of Religious Intolerance

In this submission to the United Nations, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief focuses on the right of conversion. The Special Rapporteur distinguishes the following four subcategories: (a) the right to conversion, in the sense of changing one’s own religion or belief; (b) the right not to be forced to convert; (c) the right to try to convert others by means of non-coercive persuasion; and (d) the rights of the child and of his or her parents in this regard. In addition, the Special Rapporteur outlines the international human rights framework and specific violations for each of these subcategories and addresses some typical misunderstandings.