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Westminster Declaration aims to set global standards against political abuse of religion

2026-04-07 20:18:00, Opinione Dr.Arben Ramkaj

Westminster Declaration aims to set global standards against political abuse of

A new international initiative to limit the political use of religion is taking concrete shape in London, where a high-level conference in the House of Commons on March 26, 2026 adopted the “Westminster Declaration on Preventing the Political Abuse of Religion.”

The document aims to address one of the most enduring and destabilizing factors of global conflicts: the instrumentalization of religion for political purposes. It proposes the establishment of clearer international standards and paves the way for the development of a global treaty, with the aim of strengthening equality, protecting human rights and consolidating social stability.

The declaration reaffirms that freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental right guaranteed by international law, but warns that its misuse for political interests has contributed to discrimination, exclusion and conflict in many regions of the world. In this context, it calls for concrete measures to stop this phenomenon through a new, clearer and more effective international legal architecture.

Westminster Declaration aims to set global standards against political abuse of

Among the most prominent international signatories are:

Sir Liam Fox, former UK Defence Minister;

Dr. Stephen Schneck, U.S. Commissioner for International Religious Freedom;

Lincoln Bloomfield Jr., former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State;

Dr. Brian J. Grim, global expert on religious freedom;

Lord Krish Raval, founder of Faith in Leadership.

The initiative was undertaken by the international organization BPUR International, in collaboration with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief in the United Kingdom (APPG FoRB), represented by MPs such as Jim Shannon and Sir Liam Fox, who have supported this process at a political and institutional level.

From Albania, the document was signed by Dr. Arben Ramkaj, President of the Center for Interfaith Cooperation. In his response, he called on the Albanian government to take an active role and promote an international initiative to advance this treaty, emphasizing that the promotion of this historic idea is vital at a time when the world is facing high levels of religious polarization and the misuse of religion at high political levels in the global arena.

Essentially, this initiative aims to create an international framework that prohibits the use of religion as an instrument of power or political pressure, while simultaneously preserving the integrity of faith and guaranteeing equality among citizens, regardless of their religious affiliation.

Supporters of the declaration emphasize that the initiative is inclusive and non-confrontational: it does not target any religion or state and does not restrict religious belief, but sets universal standards to prevent the manipulation of religion in cases where it violates fundamental rights and social stability.

If supported by a wide number of states and international institutions, this initiative could mark an important step towards addressing one of the most complex challenges of modern times: the intertwining of religion with political power in an increasingly polarized world./ CNA