xenophobic or intolerant acts, manifestations or expressions occur, in order to deny impunity for
those who commit such acts;
13. Urges all States to provide, within their respective legal and constitutional systems,
adequate protection against acts of hatred, discrimination, intimidation and coercion resulting
from defamation of religions and incitement to religious hatred in general, and to take all
possible measures to promote tolerance and respect for all religions and beliefs;
14. Underscores the need to combat defamation of religions and incitement to religious
hatred in general by strategizing and harmonizing actions at the local, national, regional and
international levels through education and awareness-building;
15. Calls upon all States to make the utmost effort, in accordance with their national
legislation and in conformity with international human rights and humanitarian law, to ensure
that religious places, sites, shrines and symbols are fully respected and protected, and to take
additional measures in cases where they are vulnerable to desecration or destruction;
16. Calls for strengthened international efforts to foster a global dialogue for the
promotion of a culture of tolerance and peace at all levels, based on respect for human rights and
diversity of religions and beliefs, and urges States, non-governmental organizations, religious
leaders as well as the print and electronic media to support and foster such a dialogue;
17. Expresses its appreciation to the High Commissioner for holding a seminar on
freedom of expression and advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to
discrimination, hostility or violence, in October 2008, and requests her to continue to build on
this initiative, with a view to contributing concretely to the prevention and elimination of all such
forms of incitement and the consequences of negative stereotyping of religions or beliefs, and
their adherents, on the human rights of those individuals and their communities;
18. Requests the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance to report on all manifestations of defamation
of religions, and in particular on the serious implications of Islamophobia, on the enjoyment of
all rights by their followers, to the Council at its twelfth session;
19. Requests the High Commissioner to report to the Council at its twelfth session on the
implementation of the present resolution, including on the possible correlation between
defamation of religions and the upsurge in incitement, intolerance and hatred in many parts of
the world.
43rd meeting
26 March 2009
[Adopted by a recorded vote of 23 to 11, with 13 abstentions. The voting was as follows:
4
In favour:
Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt,
Gabon, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar,
Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa;
Against:
Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine,
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
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