A/HRC/43/72
congregation wished to obtain certain advantages, such as the right to perform marriages
with civil validity in Denmark or the possibility to deduct contributions from the annual tax
declaration.
65.
Honduras reported that the right of association was guaranteed by granting legal
personality to all of churches upon request to the Secretary of the Interior, Justice and
Decentralization and through registration with the Directorate for the Regulation,
Registration and Monitoring of Civil Associations, which was responsible not only for
preparing the registry of all civil associations and monitoring their activities, but also for
ensuring that the registered associations complied with the purposes and objectives for
which they were constituted and authorized by the State. As established by article 4 of the
Special Register for Churches, religious associations identified or recognized as churches
will, once their legal personality is granted, be immediately registered in the special registry
for them, which is kept by the General Secretary of the Ministry of Human Rights, Justice,
Governance and Decentralization.
66.
Italy reported that article 8 of the Constitution provided that all religious
denominations were equally free before the law, clarifying that non-Catholic denominations
could organize themselves freely and that their relations with the State were based on
bilateral agreements. In accordance with article 19 of the Constitution, everyone was
entitled to freely profess his or her religious belief, both individually and collectively, to
promote it and also to celebrate religious rites in public and in private, unless they were
offensive to public morality. Article 20 forbade the imposition of any special legal
limitation or fiscal burden on religious associations and institutions with confessional aims.
67.
Romania reported that the State Secretariat for Religious Affairs had been
supporting the projects of religious communities and continually encouraged cooperation
among them. Grants offered by the Secretariat had contributed to the restoration of several
important monuments belonging to religious communities. Romania had also supported the
efforts of religious communities to build appropriate spaces for exercising freedom of
worship, among other social projects. The State Secretariat had not yet received, from any
person or on behalf of a recognized religion, any information concerning religious
intolerance.
68.
Tunisia reported that its Constitution and legal framework reflected the measures set
out in Human Rights Council resolution 40/25, highlighting that under article 6 the State
guaranteed freedom of religion and opinion, religious celebrations and the impartiality of
mosques in the country. Tunisia underscored the principles of equality and nondiscrimination in respect of all Tunisian citizens. It added that, for the first time in Tunisian
history, a law (Law No. 50 of 2018) had been adopted to fight all forms of discrimination.
In particular, article 2 penalized any racial discrimination, division or exclusion based on
race, colour or national or ethnic origin, consistent with the International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
69.
Turkey reported that, in an effort to prevent discriminatory behaviour, the new
identity cards for Turkish citizens did not include any indication of the cardholder’s
religion. It added that non-Muslim Turkish citizens were able to practise their religion, hold
religious ceremonies and manage their properties, including places of worship, without
impediment. Several places of worship, including the Grand Synagogue in Edirne and the
120-year-old Sveti Stefan Bulgarian Church in Istanbul, had been restored and reopened for
worship in 2015 and 2018. Between 2003 and 2018, over 1,000 properties had been
registered to foundations belonging to non-Muslim minorities. Programmes and ceremonies
were organized for Alevis as well, especially during significant dates on the Alevi calendar,
such as Muharram and Hidrellez.
12
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