A/HRC/31/21 E. Freedom of religion and cultural rights 38. According to article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, which includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. 22 Furthermore, according to article 27, everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts as well as to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.23 39. While many of the more than 500 churches and Christian monuments in the north and the 100 mosques in the south of the island continued to remain out of reach for many worshippers, further progress was made during the period under review. 40. In the northern part of the island, more Greek Cypriots were able to worship at a number of previously inaccessible sites. Between 1 December 2014 and 30 November 2015, the Turkish Cypriot authorities approved 14 sites for worship. UNFICYP facilitated arrangements for the crossing of nearly 2,200 pilgrims from the northern part of Cyprus to the Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque in Larnaca on 21 April, 21 July and 31 September 2015. UNFICYP also facilitated over 90 religious and commemorative events involving more than 29,000 individuals, held in, or requiring crossing of, the buffer zone. However, the Turkish Cypriot authorities did not approve a number of requests by worshippers to hold religious services in the northern part of the island. 41. With regard to access to places of worship in the southern part of the island, the Human Rights Committee expressed concern about reports suggesting undue restrictions to the freedom of religion and belief of certain minorities, particularly Muslims, owing to limited access to places of prayer, including the Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque, which was open for worship on Fridays only. It also expressed concerns about reports of inadequate maintenance of Muslim cemeteries. The Committee recommended that Cyprus ensure that its legislation and practices conformed fully with the requirements of article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by taking immediate measures to remove undue restrictions on access to places of worship, including those that limited worship to one day a week (see CCPR/C/CYP/CO/4, para. 18). 42. During the period under review, religious leaders, including the Greek Orthodox Archbishop and the Mufti of Cyprus, with the support of the Office of the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process, and under the auspices of the Embassy of Sweden, intensified their collaboration. On 4 December 2014 and 6 October 2015, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief met with Cypriot religious leaders at interreligious round tables and noted that cooperation among the religious leaders had led to consistent progress in the realization of freedom of religion or belief on the whole island (see A/70/286, para. 9).24 During the round table held on 6 October 2015, the Cyprus Inter-religious Platform for Human Rights was established in order to facilitate and broaden the dialogue between religious communities and civil society organizations on the island. 43. On 24 November 2015, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop, the Mufti of Cyprus, the Maronite Archbishop, the Armenian Archbishop and the Patriarchal Latin Vicar in Cyprus 22 23 24 See also the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, art. 18, and the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief (General Assembly resolution 36/55). See also the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, art. 15. See also www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16565&LangID=E. 11