A Conversation with Religions for Peace and Dr. Ibrahim Salama of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

The fields of human rights and religion have historically been perceived to be antagonistic. Dr. Ibrahim Salama explains in this conversation how Religions for Peace and United Nations Human Rights are working collaboratively to change this perception. Dr. Salama, Chief of the Human Rights Treaties Branch of UNOHCHR, says that “religious actors are human rights defenders  in their own way, with their own language.”

He highlights the “Faiths for Rights” Framework and #Faith4Rights Toolkit as mechanisms bridging the worlds of religion and human rights so that these actors can work together towards shared goals in a reconciled language.

Dr. Salama’s experience has shown that religious actors have much to offer in the field of human rights, as religious commitments often even surpass the commitments made by States on human rights. Religious actors have direct access to, and influence over, the “rights holders,” making them quintessential partners for human rights defenders and advocates.

In this latest episode of “How Faith Matters” from Religions for Peace, learn what religious actors bring to the table for the human rights community and how these two spheres, when faced with common challenges such as COVID-19, can come closer than ever before.

Further Resources:

• Religions for Peace, UN Human Rights and Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Joint Webinar – Confronting COVID-19 from the Prism of Faith, Gender and Human Rights
• United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner Website
• “Faith for Rights” Framework (8^th Edition)
• #Faith4Rights Toolkit