The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution incorporating the Bishop of Truro's recommendations on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB).

The resolution was sponsored jointly by the governments of the UK and United Arab Emirates. 

It is the first time that the UN Security Council has passed a resolution on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

The resolution commits the UN Secretary General to producing an oral report on FoRB-related threats to international peace and security.

The first report is due to be delivered by 14 June 2024 and it is anticipated that this will become an annual event.

The recommendations contained in the resolution draw from a UK government-sponsored review into the persecution of Christians and the state of FoRB globally. 

The review was carried out by the Bishop of Truro, Philip Mounstephen, and completed in 2019. It found that persecution was widespread and worsening. 

Recommendations made to the Foreign Office included seeking a Security Council resolution urging Middle East and North African governments to protect Christians and other persecuted minorities. 

Bishop Mounstephen welcomed the UN Security Council's adoption of the resolution. 

"I'm delighted by this news of the implementation of one of the key recommendations of the Truro Review - especially in the light of the fact that last year it was deemed unlikely that any Security Council Resolution on Freedom of Religion or Belief would be possible," he said. 

"That it's happened is huge credit to the UK's UN team and speaks volumes of the UK's commitment to this vital human right. This, along with other recent actions, puts this issue firmly on the international geo-political table."

Jeremy Hunt, who commissioned the Truro Review while Foreign Secretary, said: "I'm proud and delighted to see this key recommendation of Bishop Philip's report implemented and send my warm congratulations to the UK team at the UN on their very impressive work."