Politics has long demonstrated its capacity to misuse and co-opt religion — transforming deeply personal systems of belief into tools of power, division, and control. When faith is instrumentalised for political gain, it risks distorting sacred teachings, marginalizing vulnerable communities, and fueling conflict under the guise of moral authority. This dynamic not only undermines genuine religious freedom but also erodes trust in both political institutions and religious traditions themselves.
It is in response to this urgent global challenge that Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF) President Dr. Brian Grim will be speaking at a high-level international conference at the UK Parliament on March 26, convened at the House of Commons, where leaders and policymakers will gather to advance a global framework aimed at prohibiting the political abuse of religion and addressing one of the root causes of religious conflict worldwide. RFBF is a stakeholder in the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG FoRB).
BPUR International is organising this high-level international conference at the House of Commons in London on 26 March 2026, aiming to address one of the most persistent and destabilising drivers of global conflict, encapsulated in the title “Global Rules to Ban the Political Abuse of Religion – An International Partnership to Address the Root Causes of Religious Conflicts.”
The conference is sponsored by the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG FoRB), chaired by Jim Shannon MP.
The event, held in the Churchill Room at the Palace of Westminster, is a call for a global partnership of visionary officials, lawmakers, and prominent representatives of the international community to work together to introduce effective new global rules to address the root causes of religious conflicts and discrimination worldwide.
The objective is to build a global consensus on clear, indisputable international standards to define and prohibit all political abuses of religion, without offending any religious group or threatening the social and political stability of any country.
The partnership seeks to move beyond traditional dialogue by working towards a global framework that protects the sanctity of faith from political exploitation. It is a springboard for sustained momentum to advance the legislative and diplomatic efforts required to deliver a significant and historic transformation.
It is a platform for principled officials, lawmakers and global organisations to help shape a universal legal framework to ban the political abuse of religion that undermines equality, and all forms of religious discrimination, exclusion, and restrictions on freedom of religion or belief.
These fundamental rules, enshrined as international law, would be the ultimate tool to protect all victims of religious oppression and advance international humanitarian objectives by addressing the root causes of religious conflicts and many human rights violations.
The partnership aims to encourage governments to support the introduction of these rules at the UN General Assembly. It is a collective effort to develop and promote a landmark United Nations treaty to ban the political abuse of religion.
Such a standard would empower governments to join the global consensus on justice and equality, enhance stability, and pave the way for sustainable development to make the world more fair and more peaceful.
The campaign is already underway with several proposed parliamentary resolutions, including a significant supporting motion at the Council of Europe. It has active engagement with several governments and rapidly growing support in over 80 countries.
The conference aims to secure the participation of up to 100 prominent officials, lawmakers, stakeholders, and leading representatives of the international community to exchange ideas on how best to encourage governments to support this global effort.