The NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief — in collaboration with the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at BYU, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, St. John’s University Center for Law and Religion, Bahá’í International Community, and Focus on FORB — will host a special lunch briefing and evening reception with the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Prof. Heiner Beielefeldt, on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012.

The special lunch briefing, titled “Emerging Issues in Religious Freedom Worldwide,” will be held from noon to 2:30 p.m. at the Bahá’í International Community’s office at 866 UN Plaza, Suite 120. It will begin with a lunch, then give way to a panel discussion to be moderated by Matt Cherry, President of the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Panelists will include:

— Malcolm Evans, Bristol University

— W. Cole Durham, Jr., Brigham Young University

— Peter Petkoff, Brunel Law School and Regent’s Park College, Oxford

— Felice Gaer, Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights

— Tad Stahnke, Human Rights First

Prof. Bielefeldt will provide commentary after the discussion.

The private reception will be held later that day, at 6:30 p.m., at the Millennium Hotel located at One United Nations Plaza. Remarks by the Special Rapporteur will begin at 7 p.m.

RSVP for these events is required. Please RVSP by Oct. 23, 2012, by emailing Katie Moore at kmoore@becketfund.org or calling 202-955-0095 (Becket Fund) or 202-803-2500 (Bahá’í office).