Freedom of Conscience
Contents
History of Resolution
Overview
Proposal Campaign
UN Debate
Chief proponents: Ecopoeia, Enn, Ausserland, Waterana, Yeldan UN Mission, The Goblin, Gravlen
Chief opponents: Omigodtheykilledkenny, Commustan, The City by the Live S, New Davel, My Oedipus Complex
Excerpt from closing statement delivered by Varia Yefremova, Ecopoeia's Speaker to the UN:
"I humbly submit that this is a triumph for human rights. My deepest gratitude to those who voted in favour and argued for the resolution in these halls. My thanks also to those who clearly and honestly stated their objections. It is my sincere hope that your fears are not realised and that this resolution is looked on kindly by history."
Text of the Resolution
Category: | Human Rights | Strength: | Significant | Proposed By: | Ecopoeia |
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We, the United Nations, recognise that freedom of conscience is a fundamental human right that transcends national borders and note with regret that the governments of some member states persecute and commit acts of violence against those who merely express beliefs or thoughts that are not state-approved.
Accordingly, we hereby:
1) DEFINE a ‘prisoner of conscience’ as a person who is detained or imprisoned, not for use of, nor encouragement to use, violence; not for openly supporting nor recommending hatred for racial, religious, sexual or similar reasons to provoke people to discriminate, or to be hostile or violent; but for their political, religious or other beliefs, or their ethnic origin, gender, sexuality, colour or similarly unjustifiable reasons; and accordingly
INSIST that all member states immediately and unconditionally release any prisoners of conscience they are currently detaining and
PROHIBIT member states from detaining prisoners of conscience in the future.
2) DEFINE a ‘disappearance’ as an instance when a person has been taken into custody by government authorities or by an armed political group, when this person’s whereabouts and wellbeing are kept secret without the full, informed, uncoerced consent of the individual in question; and accordingly
INSIST that any institution or group holding such an individual to reveal the whereabouts and condition of the ‘disappeared’ person.
3) CONDEMN extrajudicial executions by governments, killings caused by the unnecessary use of lethal force by law enforcement officials and killings of civilians in direct or indiscriminate attacks by governments or armed political groups.
- Votes For: 9,892
- Votes Against: 4,179
- Implemented: Wed Aug 3 2005
Additional Materials
- Freedom of Conscience UN Floor Debate
- Freedom of Conscience Draft Proposal Discussions
- UN_Timeline
- United Nations