International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief


The International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief is a network of parliamentarians from around the world committed to combating religious persecution and advancing freedom of religion or belief, as defined by Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

History

IPPFoRB was established on 8 November 2014 with the signing of the Oslo Charter for Freedom of Religion or Belief at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo.
The first steering committee of the IPPFoRB was composed of Baroness Elizabeth Berridge, David Anderson, Abid Raja, Aykan Erdemir, Leonardo Quintao.

Activities

In September 2015, IPPFoRB convened 100 parliamentarians from 50 countries in New York, alongside the United Nations General Assembly, and issued the New York Resolution for Freedom of Religion or Belief to "enhance global cooperation by working across geographical, political, and religious lines." At the New York meeting, IPPFoRB founder Aykan Erdemir stated that this global network is "idea for which the time is right," adding that people advocating rights should be as "outspoken, organised and transnational" as the violent extremists.
In September 2016, IPPFoRB assembled 100 parliamentarians from 60 countries in Berlin with the attendance of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Since its inception, IPPFoRB parliamentarians have written advocacy letters to heads of state of Burma, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, and Vietnam.
IPPFoRB steering committee members have received awards in recognition of their efforts: Aykan Erdemir was awarded the Stefanus Prize by the Stefanus Alliance International in 2015 while Baroness Elizabeth Berridge is the recipient of the 2017 International Religious Liberty Award of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies and Abid Raja was named the 2018 recipient of the International Religious Liberty Association's International Award for Outstanding Leadership in Religious Freedom Advocacy.