About Forum 18

Every person has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right includes the freedom to change religion or belief, and the freedom to express – either singly or together with others, and either publicly or privately – one's religion or faith through teaching, practice, worship and ritual.

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief

1. Aim: Forum 18 is an instrument for promoting the implementation of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and concentrates on serious and obvious breaches of religious freedom, and particularly on situations where the lives and welfare of individual people or groups are being threatened and where the right to gather around one's faith is being hindered.
2. The Board of Forum 18 will arrange at least one annual conference or convention, which is to be open to representatives of churches, organisations, free groups and individuals. Financial support for such conferences or conventions will be sought primarily from external sources.
3. Tasks:
   1. Raise and co-ordinate interest and engagement in issues of religious freedom.
   2. Give moral and practical support to victims of violations of religious freedom.
   3. Influence public opinion and the authorities towards the implementation of all the elements of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
   4. Gather and make accessible information on serious violations.
   5. Gather and make accessible information about individual people, groups, churches that have campaigned effectively for freedom of religion.
   6. Be a driving force for getting important issues into the media.
   7. Frame and find resources for projects that can monitor the human rights situation and provide reliable information, if necessary in co-operation with other similar organisations.
   8. Promote and arrange support for research projects that throw light on violations of religious freedom and their causal circumstances, besides obtaining knowledge about situations where religious freedom is violated.
   9. Contribute advice and guidance to missionaries and aid workers in exposed areas.

The members of the Board of Forum 18 are: