The former Vice President of the European Parliament has been appointed as the new EU Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) outside the European Union.

Mairead McGuinness will provide support for intercultural and interreligious dialogue processes beyond the European Union, including engagement with national authorities, organisations, and representatives of different faiths.

The role had been vacant for a year, although it was only introduced in 2016. Part of its mandate includes visits to countries experiencing some of the most severe religious persecution in the world, to help develop strategies to address these challenges.

This is a role that several EU countries maintain, including Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania. In the UK, the role is currently held by David Smith MP.

The appointment comes at a critical moment. Over the past year, violations of religious freedom have surged worldwide, from government crackdowns on Christians in India to deadly violence against Christian communities in Nigeria. The prolonged absence of an envoy had raised concerns that the EU was leaving a key instrument of its human rights diplomacy unused.

Advocacy groups such as Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) and ADF International have welcomed the long-awaited appointment.

CSW’s Europe Liaison Officer, Jonathan de Leyser, said the organisation looks "forward to seeing how she will advance the mandate, with good coordination across the EU institutions", whilst Adina Portaru, senior counsel for ADF International, said "the European Commission should now strengthen and adequately resource the role so that the envoy can effectively respond to today’s urgent challenges".