Southeast Asia faces significant FoRB challenges, including restrictive laws, politicization of religion, and violence against religious minorities. The Jakarta Declaration (2024) called for the repeal of discriminatory legislation and emphasized the importance of interfaith dialogue to promote social cohesion. Through initiatives like the Southeast Asia Academy, IPPFoRB equips parliamentarians with tools to address these issues through inclusive and rights-based policy-making.
The Southeast Asian Parliamentary Working Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is a regional grouping of Southeast Asian former and current members of parliament (MPs) who are committed to the promotion and protection of FoRB, as defined by article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Working Group provides leadership and guidance to promote legislation, policies and best practice to advance FoRB across the region.
The Working Group seeks to build the capacity of MPs and their role in advancing religious freedoms in the region. It also seeks to provide platforms to engage relevant stakeholders in advocating FoRB, nationally or regionally.
For more information and to join the working group or network, please visit the FoRB Asia toolkits website.
