Human Rights & Religious Freedom

Religious freedom is a fundamental human right. Despite recognition by international accords, religious liberty is under attack in many countries around the world. Surviving oppression both historically and today, the Orthodox Church is certainly no stranger to human rights violations and the lack of religious liberty. Through its 2000 years of experience, and with Christ at its core, the Church advocates for human rights, putting people before profit.

Since 1985, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council (GoArch at UN) has advocated as a non-governmental organization (NGO) at the United Nations on the issues of human rights and religious freedom. Currently, the GoArch at UN is a contributing member of the following NGO Committees related to this topic:

• NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief
• NGO Committee on Human Rights
• NGO Committee on the Status of Women
• The Committee of Religious NGOs at the UN