Freedom of Religion or Belief: An Individual's Choice
CONCEPT NOTE
Wednesday, 26 September 2012, 1:15 – 2.30 p.m.
United Nations Headquarters
North Lawn Building
Conference Room 3
On the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, H.E. Mr. John Baird, Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Canada, H.E. Dr. Uri Rosenthal, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands and H.E. Mr. Alioune Badara Cissé, Minister of Foreign
Affairs and Senegalese Abroad of the Republic of Senegal, will co-host a High-Level
Side Event entitled "Freedom of Religion or Belief: An Individual's Choice." The event
will be moderated by Dr. James M. Lindsay, Senior Vice President, Council on Foreign
Relations.
The co-hosting governments strongly support every individual’s right to freedom of
religion or belief, and are committed to working with our international partners to
advance the promotion and the protection of this fundamental freedom. Dr. Paul Bhatti,
Advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Minority Affairs, will join the Foreign
Ministers of Canada, the Netherlands and Senegal for this important event. The
objective of the panel discussion is to generate respectful dialogue concerning this
universal right.
AGENDA
1:15 – 1:25
1:25 – 1:30
1:30 – 1:35
1:35 – 1:40
1:40 – 1:45
1:45 – 2:20
2:20 – 2:30
Welcome and introductory remarks by Dr. Lindsay
H.E. Mr. John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada
H.E. Dr. Uri Rosenthal, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of
the Netherlands
H.E. Mr. Alioune Badara Cissé, Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Senegalese Abroad of the Republic of Senegal
Dr. Paul Bhatti, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Minority
Affairs
Questions and Answers
Concluding remarks by Dr. Lindsay