Many international conventions, such as those adopted by the United Nations, and regional
conventions, emphasise the need to protect freedom of religion and freedom of conscience, to
which they attach equal importance. In Europe, these conventions are supplemented by the
European Convention on Human Rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European
Union.
Freedom of conscience or opinion covers a wide range of beliefs and practices that reflect attitudes
stemming from personal choices; the beliefs and practices involved are not easily categorisable. For
that reason, international statistics are sometimes patchy and it is difficult to determine exactly how
many people around the world do in fact enjoy freedom of conscience, particularly as in some parts
of the world a climate of intolerance makes the exercise of that freedom problematic. Freedom of
conscience is not upheld in every country: either the state itself is guilty of discrimination or
persecution, or it is incapable of curbing violent social responses motivated by intolerance.
It is hard to put a figure on the number of cases involving denial of freedom of conscience, because
the victims of persecution go largely unnoticed by the media. In many countries the situation is
worrying, and the European Union is committed to defending freedom of conscience in its relations
with its partners.