The International Humanist and Ethical Union, taking into account the currently emerging situation world-wide, resolves that the humanist movement must make renewed efforts to support comprehensive secularism in all countries, in the sense of separation of religion from state institutions, complete impartiality on the part of the State in its attitude and actions towards different religions and belief systems, and the right and the responsibility of the State to intervene to protect human rights from gross violation, even if based on religious doctrine or enshrined in religiously based civil law. The State must protect the individual's right to leave his or her community without the fear of violence or severe reprisal.

The 16th World Humanist Congress unanimously agreed the following declaration formulated by Libre Pensee Francais. The Congress was held in Paris from 5th to 7th July 2005 to commemorate the Centenary of the French Law of Separation of Church and State of 9 December 1905.

Honorable Prime Minister

This Congress strongly opposes the devolving of government functions upon non government religious organisations and the provision of funding and other resources to the same.

IHEU Regional Congress, Australia, November 2000

This Congress supports in principle the resolution of CAHS on civil celebrancy.

This Congress recognises the essential place of Rites of Passage in the lives of secular people; supports those civil celebrants who are working towards effective and satisfying rites and ceremonies for non church people;

calls on the federal government to support celebrancy as of value in its own right, as strengthening relationships, bonding families and communities and expressing and reinforcing the best of human values; calls on the federal government to support civil celebrancy as a means of expressing and encouraging the visual and performing arts and by this means bringing joy to human life.

That this Congress views with grave concern the frivolous and vindictive use of blasphemy laws, having negative impact on the freedom of conscience of dissenters and minorities. We call for a strict separation of state from religion, and call on all countries, particularly Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom to bring their domestic legislation in line with universal standards, freedom of religion and belief, as expressed in the UN Declaration on Freedom of Religion and Belief.

The references to God proposed for inclusions in the preamble to the new constitutions for the German Federal Republic and the Land of Lower Saxony are a clear violation of the religious neutrality of the state. The debate on this issue has shown that the attempt to include a reference to God is founded on the representation of non-religious views as morally inferior.

The International Humanist & Ethical Union represents ethical humanist organisation around the world, whose millions of members deny a divine authority in their lives. Humanists accept that the norms and values which shape human life have been created and developed by humanity itself. And they believe that these values should be based on fundamental moral principles which cannot be arbitrarily rejected or changed. These principles have found expression in declarations on human rights.

Both humanism and secularism have in common the pursuit, for all people, of ways in which they can live peacefully together, irrespective of ethnic or social origin, religious or philosophical opinions:

* By respecting the alienable dignity of each human being;

* By creating, for all, the ways to attain the basic rights, such as freedom of thought and opinion, freedom of association and movement....the right to health care, to peace, to education....

The International Humanist & Ethical Union condemns the new Common Syllabus for Religious Education in Northern Ireland, which comes into effect in September, 1993.

This Syllabus should be condemned because:

1. It is exclusive. The only religion studied in the compulsory core is Christianity. This is offensive to Muslims, Hindus, Jews and members of other faiths, as well as the 12% who, according to a recent poll, declare that they have no religion. It is against the interest of the children, who have a right to a broad education and the opportunity to learn understanding and tolerance towards those of differing beliefs.

The Executive Committee of the International Humanist & Ethical Union at the annual meeting in Antwerp, Belgium, strongly supports the efforts of Dr Henry Morgantaler of Montreal, for abortion law reform in Canada. We urge that all charges against Dr. Morgantaler be dropped and that all restrictive abortion laws be rescinded.

We are committed to the sanctity of life and the worth and dignity of every person and therefore believe in the right of every woman to choose abortion, if she so desires.