Through in-depth research and advocacy, CSW compiles and analyses evidence of freedom of religion or belief violations, raises awareness, calls on nations where violations occur to uphold this right in accordance with international, national or constitutional obligations, and urges other members of the international community to hold them accountable.

 Our teams regularly visit the countries we work on to gather first-hand evidence of FoRB violations, which is also supplied by our offices in two regions. 

Our research and analysis are accessed by the media, politicians, policy-makers and international institutions around the world. Fact-finding research assignments to the countries on which we work continue to provide the foundation for our advocacy, however we also prioritise innovative methods of gathering evidence, including effective use of emerging technology. 

CSW relies on a global network of partners formed over many years, enabling us to continue exposing the injustices faced by many religious, belief and ethnic communities, and to disseminate this information, including by organising, chairing, co-hosting or contributing expert testimony to webinars on thematic or country FoRB - related issues. 

In addition to the regular briefings, reports and case summaries we would normally produce in a given year, we have also gathered evidence on emerging global challenges, from military coups to nationwide crackdowns on citizens.

Download our 2023/2024 Annual Report

Some of the impact of our work in 2023/2024...

Leave No One Behind

To complement our report on Afghanistan From the darkest day into the night, CSW produced a compelling short film titled Leave No One Behind, which highlights the experiences of religious minority refugees from Afghanistan.  

Training journalists in Nigeria and Mexico

Through 2023 CSW trained journalists in Nigeria and Mexico to help change the story. Equipping journalists with tools and skills to generate effective media coverage concerning the right to FoRB help to ensure an increase in awareness of this important human right and of local violations.

Bringing our expertise to the United Nations

In 2023 our specific expertise continued to set us apart at the UN, as one of the leading voices on the right to freedom of religion or belief globally; for example, we were invited to speak at several UN events as the expert panellist and to participate in roundtable discussions with several UN experts.