The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is part of a Movement whose entire purpose is to work for a world free of all forms of discrimination.
Religious discrimination is a particularly dehumanizing form of discrimination, for it sets people apart in ways which frequently have the most senseless and destructive impact on the communities around them.
The International Federation is working energetically to find new ways not just of eliminating religious intolerance, but more importantly of promoting ideals of tolerance and mutually supportive community strength. In our view it is not enough to seek to eliminate intolerance without parallel programs to promote tolerance and the value of diversity.
The Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which have been adopted by all Governments and all National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, are built around absolute commitments to humanity and impartiality. This is for many essential humanitarian purposes, and of course because it is not possible to begin to deliver the service and support needed by the most vulnerable in communities if any discrimination is allowed to persist.
In our statement under the item on the elimination of racism and racial discrimination during this Session of the Commission on Human Rights, the International Federation offered some examples showing how the elimination of discrimination and the promotion of the values of tolerance is part of our work for disaster preparedness and against stigma associated with diseases like HIV/AIDS.
This message is just as true of religious discrimination.
The Red Cross Red Crescent Movement adopted the theme "Stop Discrimination" for its worldwide action to mark World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day on 8 May 2004. Work against religious discrimination was a key element in that action, and the International Federation was honoured to have been invited to speak on the subject at the World Conference on Religion and Culture hosted by the Ministry of Culture of Greece on the day itself as well as at the 2004 Parliament of the World's Religions in Spain.
Subsequently, the International Federation hosted an expert group on the fulfillment of its Pledge, delivered at the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in 2003, to work against discrimination at community and all other levels. The experts, meeting in Geneva in December 2004, determined that much more work is needed at local and community levels if discrimination is to be effectively addressed.
This message is now central in work being done by the International Federation and other components of our Movement in preparation for the consideration of work against discrimination which will be undertaken when the Movement's Council of Delegates meets in Seoul in November 2005.
Without prejudging the outcome of the Seoul meeting, it is possible to state now that we do not consider programs to eliminate discrimination to be enough in themselves. There is no doubt that there is a need for legislative and similar measures against discrimination.
But there is an even greater value in the promotion of tolerance as a value for all communities. And in the promotion of the value of diversity as an enriching tool for the benefit of prosperous nations.
Without full respect as between members of communities there can be no sense of humanity in those communities. Without that humanity there can be no truly effective programs which build solidarity in the face of disasters. Without that solidarity, built and maintained by the communities themselves, there can be no preparation for the onset of the unexpected.
The International Federation, as an international organisation with worldwide membership in every community, everywhere, considers that it is time for practical work on these issues. We are now seeking to build partnerships with other organisations committed to the same outcomes.
It is in this spirit that we hope it will soon be possible for the International Federation to conclude work on a partnership agreement with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Partnership at the national and local level involving our National Societies and National Human Rights Institutions will be a strong asset in this struggle against the evils of religious discrimination.