From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
Revision as of 22:15, 18 September 2025
Religious States in the United Nations System, Past to Present
The religious states in the United Nations system are those member states or observer states that maintain an official religion or constitutionally defined religious identity. While the Charter of the United Nations of 1945 is framed on a neutral basis without reference to religion, the UN has included such states since its early years. Examples range from founding members like Saudi Arabia to later admissions such as Israel and Bhutan, as well as observer entities like the Holy See and the State of Palestine. A significant minority of UN members have an official religion.
Expansion
UN membership grew from 51 states in 1945 to 193 today.[1] A significant minority of these maintain an official religion or religious identity.[2][3] They can be grouped into four categories:
Global studies note that state favoritism of religion and constitutional religious identity have increased in recent decades.[12][13]
See also
References
- ^ UN Member States, United Nations.
- ^ Pew Research Center, Many Countries Favor Specific Religions (Officially or Unofficially), 3 October 2017.
- ^ United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), Official Religions and Government Laws Based on Religion: Issue Update, November 2022.
- ^ Basic Law of Saudi Arabia (1992), Article 1. English translation available via King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an, Riyadh.
- ^ Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran (1979), Article 12.
- ^ UN Member States – Pakistan, United Nations.
- ^ Constitution of Pakistan (1956), Article 1.
- ^ UN General Assembly Resolution 273 (1949), admitting Israel to membership in the United Nations.
- ^ Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan (2008), Article 3.
- ^ UN General Assembly Resolution 214 (1964).
- ^ UN General Assembly Resolution 67/19 (2012).
- ^ Pew Research Center, How Religious Restrictions Have Risen Around the World, 15 July 2019.
- ^ Anne Stensvold, “The United Nations – what has religion got to do with it?”, LSE Religion and Global Society blog, 2018.
