On May 19, 2022, representatives from government, civil society, scholarly experts, and religious leaders from 10 countries gathered in the city of Bukhara, Uzbekistan for a multi-faith dialogue that focused on protecting and promoting freedom of conscience or belief of everyone, everywhere, and advancing multi-faith tolerance, understanding, respect, and countering violent extremism. Several grantees from Templeton Religion Trust were at the center of this historical moment, engaging in open and constructive conversations across cultures, religions, and ethnicities.
Recently the Bukhara Declaration was recognized as an official document of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. The document has been translated into the six official languages of the UN - Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish - and distributed to all Member States, UN specialized agencies, posted in the Organization’s Journal and Official Document System.
The UZ Daily states, “The adoption of this document as an official document of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly tests to the recognition by the international community of the important contribution and efforts of Uzbekistan to ensure freedom of religion and strengthen interreligious dialogue based on the principles of mutual respect , trust and understanding.”