Human Rights and Religious Freedom: Promoting study and action by the churches on questions of human rights and religious freedom, including the relationship between church and state.

Council of Europe’s Recommendation on Human Rights of Members of the Armed Forces - June 2009
This Recommendation concerns human rights and fundamental freedoms of the members of the armed forces in the context of their work and service life. The reference to both work and service life is made by reason of the special characteristics of military life, during and outside working time.

The Report of the Second meeting of the Fundamental Rights Platform Vienna (5- 6 May 2009)
The second meeting of the Fundamental Rights Platform of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) took place from 5-6 May in Vienna. Ninety-three European Human Rights experts from civil society were glad to see that the EU Fundamental Rights Agency sticks to the commitment to continue the cooperation with the Civil Society.

The CSC of CEC contribution to the 2010 Work Programme of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)- 11 February 2009
As a member of the European Union Fundamental Rights Platform, the Church and Society Commission (CSC) of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) welcomes the invitation to offer suggestions for FRA’s Work Programme 2010. The proposals in this paper have been developed in close cooperation with the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME).

Human Rights Sermon on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary - Anglican Chaplaincy in Strasbourg - Reverend John Murray - 7 December 2008
I am glad that the Conference of European Churches has seen the importance of this anniversary and has produced the cards that you have all received this morning – reminders of the intimate relationship between human rights and the Christian gospel. So that's why I’m talking about human rights this morning. Not because it's a fashionable modern cause, but because it's a deeply Christian cause...

The CSC of CEC remarks on the 60th Anniversary of Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR). 25 November 2008
We kindly invite you to observe this anniversary by using these cards and distributing them in your church, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration by reaffirming our ongoing commitment to human rights. We also invite you to pray for those who need human rights’ protection...


Download Human Rights Card (PDF file) here in English - in French - in German


Download Human Rights Bookmark (PDF file) here in English - in French - in German
Please find the translations of the texts for the Human Rights card and bookmark in the following languages:
Finish
Italian
Greek
Polish
Serbian
Swedish

Report on the first meeting of the EU Fundamental Rights Platform - October 2008
The Church and Society Commission of CEC participated as a member in the meeting of the Fundamental Rights Platform of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency in Vienna, Vienna 7-8 October 2008...

Building a Europe for and with children – towards a strategy for 2009-2011 - 27 October 2008
From 8-10 September 2008, a CEC representative participated in a conference organised under the auspices of the Swedish Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Stockholm under the headline: “Building a Europe for and with children – towards a strategy for 2009-2011”...

Explanatory Memorandum - July 2008
Proposal for a Council Directive on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation presented by the EU Commission on 2.07.2008, Brussels

The Church and Society Commission of CEC and EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) have a common agenda - May 2008
On 20 May 2008 the Working Group for Human Rights and Religious Freedom of the Church and Society Commission of CEC met with Mr. John Kellock, Head of Unit for Communication and External Relations of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency. The international group of experts, together with the Director of Church and Society Commission and Associate General Secretary of CEC Rev Rudiger Noll, discussed a common agenda for future cooperation...

The Church and Society Commission welcomes the inauguration of the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency - February 2008
The Church and Society Commission welcomed the inauguration of the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (on 1 March 2007 ) which was formerly called the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC)....

Position adopted by the Conference of European Churches (CEC) on the meeting report of the meeting of the DH-DEV group on human rights of members of the armed forces - committee of experts for the development of human rights (DH-DEV) on 3rd and 4th December 2007, and on the papers presented at that meeting (Preliminary Elements for a CM Recommendation and Overview of Relevant Case-law from the European Court of Human Rights on Members of the Armed Forces). - December 2007
ENGLISH
GERMAN

Press Release No. 07-15/e
Churches stay committeed to Human Rights - 23 March 2007
From 20 to 21 March 2007 delegations of experts from the Russian Orthodox Church and from the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) met in Moscow to discuss about human rights.
The meeting was organised because the Russian Orthodox Church intends to adopt a basic document on human rights. Preparations for such a document began with the 2006 Declaration of the World Russian People's Council and subsequent statements from members of the Russian Orthodox Church on human rights. These gave rise to the concern as to whether there is still a common basis for human rights related issues among member churches of CEC.....



CEC/LWF Human Rights Training Workshop, Human rights and religious freedom 3-7 March 2004, Bratislava, Slovakia

Meeting of the Working Group on Human Rights and Religious Freedom, Brussels, 21 to 23 February 2003

Conclusions of the Seminar on Church-State Relations in the Light of the Exercise of the Right to Freedom of Religion, Council of Europe, December 2001

CEC Contribution to the European Ministerial Conference on Human Rights, November 2000