This keynote address by Ján Figeľ, former EU Commissioner and the first EU Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the European Union, was delivered during a side event at the 58th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on 26 March 2025.

The event, titled “Human Rights in Pakistan: Education Under Siege – Ideology, Intolerance, and the Erosion of Human Rights in Pakistan,” was organised by CAP Liberté de Conscience (France), Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), and Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD).

Figeľ’s intervention focused on the centrality of freedom of religion or belief as a core human right, essential to dignity, peace, and social cohesion. He examined Pakistan as a case study, citing systemic religious persecution, discriminatory education policy, and the politicisation of religious ideology. He also addressed the European Union’s responsibility, given Pakistan’s status as the largest beneficiary of the GSP+ trade arrangement, and called for a principled and consistent EU approach.

The keynote concluded with a call for concrete action, including the review of EU assistance programmes and education support to Pakistan, with a clear commitment to human dignity and universal human rights.