Third Ecumenical Report on Religious Freedom Worldwide

The “Third Ecumenical Report on Religious Freedom Worldwide“ is now also available in English. This document of the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) and the German Bishops’ Conference has been produced by researchers and experts of various church organisations. The German version was published in summer 2023.

The publication offers an overview of the situation of the freedom of religion or belief in various world regions while focussing on the case of Christians in particular. In a thematic section, the report discusses recent developments of freedom of religion, e.g. in connection with migration, right-wing populism or the everyday reality of indigenous peoples. These key topics are accompanied by several country reports. “The country reports in particular make it clear: discrimination and persecution, especially of Christians, based on religious motives has notably increased over the last decades”, says Bishop Dr Bertram Meier, Chairman of the Commission for International Church Affairs of the German Bishops’ Conference. “This situation is inacceptable.”

The report has the title “A Christian Perspective on a Universal Human Right”. This emphasises the human rights nature of religious freedom as expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) as well as in several other international conventions. The human right of freedom of religion or belief emanates from the respect for the dignity of every human being. It is this respect that is guiding the churches in their promotion of freedom of religion. Both churches advocate not to see freedom of religion as an isolated right but rather as an integral part of human rights.

“With the present translation we aim to introduce the joint report and our perspective beyond the social and political debate in Germany into the international discourse”, Bishop Petra Bosse-Huber, Bishop for International Affairs of the EKD, states. “In order to counter religious discrimination and favouritism, a better understanding of freedom of religion or belief as a universal human right is needed. With this, we also have Europe in mind.”

Please note: The English translation of the report can be downloaded here www.ekd.de/en/religiousfreedom2023

Hanover, 23 June 2025

EKD Press Office
Carsten Splitt