The session began with opening speeches on the new topic, Freedom of Religion. The delegates of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of Cuba (Cuba) opened with strong anti-religious sentiments (“the opium of the masses”). The Republic of France (France) took a more moderate stance but the representative also came out in favour of a secular state. On the other end were the Republic of Tunisia (Tunisia), the Arab Republic of Egypt (Egypt), and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Pakistan), the latter of which pushed for a singular, state sanctioned religion in all nations around the globe. The remaining representatives situated themselves between the two extremes.
A significant part of the remainder of the session was spent in unmoderated caucuses. Important talking points on the General Speaker’s List (GSL) were accusations and denial of religious persecution (PRC), as well as pros and cons of religion and the state. The representative of Pakistan argued the supremacy of Islam, while Cuba and the PRC emphasized religious practices’ (alleged) negative effect on the productivity of workers. Japan and the Swiss Confederation (Switzerland) tried to calm the tensions and reminded the committee of previously adopted UN resolutions, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantee the freedom of religion.
The debate culminated in the middle of the session in a moderated caucus proposed by the United States (US) on the topic of ‘Separation of the State and Religion’. As the first speaker, the delegate of the US emphasized that religion should be considered on the level of the individual, not on the level of the state, an argument that France echoed. The PRC pushed for the separation of state and religion, with many deeming it practically impossible and calling either for (a) state religion(s) as a solution (Pakistan and to a lesser extent Egypt and the Republic of Poland) or the complete abolition of the recognition of religion by the state (Cuba and to a lesser extent the PRC).