Abstract

The right to freedom of religion or belief has visibly made an entry into the international arena through specialized institutions aimed at its protection and promotion in multilateral fora, in international organizations, and in relationships with "third-party" countries (countries not part of the European Union) and civil society at large. This is also true of Italy, which recently joined the growing number of countries with dedicated policies for the protection and promotion of freedom of religion or belief in foreign policy. In this article I provide an update and analysis of recent efforts undertaken by the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs in the field.