Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in other European countries on promoting freedom of religion or belief.

We continue to highlight Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) violations and abuses on the international stage, through our position at the UN, G7 and as an active member of the Article 18 Alliance, ensuring joint international action on FoRB, including with our European partners.

The UK Special Envoy on FoRB has visited the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva twice this year, taking part in an interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur for FoRB in June and speaking at a UK-hosted event on Tibetan Buddhism in July, which several European partners co-sponsored.

On 8 July, the Minister for Africa and the Special Envoy publicly set out the Government's approach to FoRB, providing a framework for UK engagement, at an event attended by over 100 stakeholders, including representatives of the European diplomatic community.