Days after the U.S. withdrew from the United Nations Human Rights Council of 47 nations, a U.S. attorney has been named head of a multifaith nongovernmental group advising the U.N. on religious freedoms globally.
Alliance Defending Freedom International’s Kelsey Zorzi began serving June 28 as president of the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief, formed in 1991 to advocate for international agreements upholding such freedoms from within U.N. headquarters in New York.
The Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief is one of 5,083 NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) holding consultative status with the body, the U.N. said on its website. While the U.N. is comprised of 193 member nations, NGOs are part of a complex U.N. system including numerous affiliated programs, funds and specialized agencies with separate leadership.
“Religious freedom is being undermined in every corner of the globe,” Zorzi said in an ADF press release June 29. “The international community must unite to promote and protect this foundational human right. The NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief is committed to partnering with Member States, UN bodies, and other actors to highlight the current crisis and develop effective responses.” Zorzi was elected president of the committee after having served as acting president since June 2017.
Her post comes after U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo’s June 19 announcement of U.S. withdrawal from the U.N. Human Rights Council, citing human rights failures of member nations.
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Source: Baptist Press
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