Nauru

Nauru is an island republic with a unicameral parliament and no political parties, with politicians usually standing on independent platforms. With a population of around 11,500, the island is the smallest republic in the world.[ref]https://pacificdata.org/data/dataset/spc_nru_2019_phc_v01_m[/ref]

According to the most recent full census (2011), the Nauruan population is predominantly Christian (95%). The Nauruan Congregational Church is the dominant religious denomination accounting for 36% of the population. The Roman Catholic Church accounts for 33% of the population, followed by the Assembly of God (13%) and the Nauru Independent Church (10%). The non-religious accounts for 2% of the population. All other denominations account for 1% or less of the population.[ref]https://nauru.prism.spc.int/nauru-documents[/ref]

Use of Conscientious Objection clauses resulting in the denial of lawful services to women and LGBTI+ people
Religious or ideological instruction is mandatory in all or most state-funded schools with no secular or humanist alternative
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report

Countries: Kazakhstan

The state is secular, with separation of religious and political authorities, not discriminating against any religion or belief
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report
No fundamental restrictions on freedom of expression or advocacy of humanist values
Insufficient information or detail not included in this report

Countries: no countries relate to this boundary condition

No condition holds in this strand
No condition holds in this strand

Countries: Andorra

No condition holds in this strand
Religious courts or tribunals rule directly on some family or ‘moral’ matters; it is legally an opt-in system, but the possibility of social coercion is very clear
No condition holds in this strand

Countries: no countries relate to this boundary condition

Localised or infrequent but recurring and widespread social marginalisation or prejudice against the non-religious

This condition is unusual in that it is applied in cases where there is some social discrimination, but it is not pervasive or nationwide. This condition is applied when there is sufficient background evidence to warrant the assertion that discrimination is not anomalous but widespread, and this condition may be applied for example even where if there is no legislative discrimination or where the non-religious may have legal recourse against such discrimination. However, societal discrimination (i.e. discrimination by peers, as opposed to state or legal discrimination) is not easily measured, and for this reason the Report does not currently have similar more severe boundary conditions to capture higher levels of social discrimination per se. In principle these may be introduced in future. However, we consider that countries with actual higher levels of social discrimination against the non-religious will generally already meet other higher level (more severe) boundary conditions under this thematic strand.

The dominant influence of religion in public life undermines the right to equality and/or non-discrimination

Applied when the influence of religion on public life undermines others’ rights, such as SRHR, women’s rights, LGBTI+ rights.

May be applied when the influence is overt (i.e. when religious laws are applied to undermine others’ rights) or covert (i.e. where religious pressure groups exert influence to affect policy)

The non-religious are persecuted socially or there are prohibitive social taboos against atheism, humanism or secularism
Complete tyranny precludes all freedoms of expression and thought, religion or belief

Applied when overriding acts of oppression by the State are extreme, to the extent that the question of freedom of thought and expression is almost redundant, because all human rights and freedoms are quashed by authorities.

Countries: North Korea

Expression of core Humanist principles on democracy, freedom and human rights is brutally repressed
Expression of non-religious views is severely persecuted, or is rendered almost impossible by severe social stigma, or is highly likely to be met with hatred or violence
There is significant social marginalisation of the non-religious or stigma associated with expressing atheism, humanism or secularism
Religious or ideological indoctrination is utterly pervasive in schools
There is a nominal state church with few privileges or progress is being made toward disestablishment

Countries: Bulgaria, Norway, Peru, Rwanda

The non-religious are barred from some government offices (including posts reserved for particular religions or sects)
‘Apostasy’ is outlawed and punishable with a prison sentence

Countries: Bahrain, Comoros, Jordan, Kuwait

‘Apostasy’ or conversion from a specific religion is outlawed and punishable by death
Some religious courts rule in civil or family matters on a coercive or discriminatory basis
Religious authorities have supreme authority over the state

Countries: Iran

State legislation is partly derived from religious law or by religious authorities
Preferential treatment is given to a religion or religion in general

This condition is applied where there are miscellaneous indicators that organs of the state offer various forms of support for a religion, or to religion in general over non-religious worldviews, suggesting a preference for those beliefs, or that the organs of that religion are privileged.

There is a pattern of impunity or collusion in violence by non-state actors against the nonreligious
State-funded schools provide religious education which may be nominally comprehensive but is substantively biased or borderline confessional
Religious or ideological instruction in a significant number of schools is of a coercive fundamentalist or extremist variety

This condition highlights countries where schools subject children to fundamentalist religious instruction with no real opportunity to question fundamentalist tenets, or where lessons routinely encourage hatred (for example religious or ethnic hatred). The wording “significant number of schools” is not given a rigid quantification (sometimes the worst-offending schools are unregistered, illegal, or otherwise uncounted); however the condition is not applied in cases where only a small number of schools meet the description and may be anomalous, as opposed to being indicative of a widespread problem.

State legislation is largely or entirely derived from religious law or by religious authorities
Anomalous discrimination by local or provincial authorities, or overseas territories
Religious or ideological instruction is mandatory in at least some public schools (without secular or humanist alternatives)
‘Blasphemy’ or criticism of religion is outlawed and punishable by death
Government figures or state agencies openly marginalize, harass, or incite hatred or violence against the non-religious
Government authorities push a socially conservative, religiously or ideologically inspired agenda, without regard to the rights of those with progressive views
It is illegal to advocate secularism or church-state separation, or such advocacy is suppressed
Prohibitive interreligious social control (including interreligious marriage bans)
Quasi-divine veneration of a ruling elite is enforced, or a single-party regime holds uncontested power, subject to severe punishment
Legal or constitutional provisions exclude non-religious views from freedom of belief
It is illegal to register an explicitly Humanist, atheist, secularist or other non-religious NGO or other human rights organization, or such groups are persecuted by authorities
There is a religious tax or tithing which is compulsory, or which is state-administered and discriminates by precluding non-religious groups
The non-religious are barred from holding government office
Some concerns about children's right to specifically religious freedom

This condition may apply if specifically religious education, religious materials, or specific religious denominations are so tightly controlled that children are in fact over-protected from exposure to religion and are likely unable to explore or construct their own worldview in accordance with their evolving capacities. This condition helps us to classify states (perhaps with secular constitutions) which have criminalized specifically religious beliefs or practices. This condition is not applied if the restricted beliefs or practices are found to be outlawed due to their being of an extremist variety. While this condition does not directly reflect discrimination against non-religious persons or non-religious ideas, it does represent an overall threat to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief; such restrictions could spill over to affect non-religious beliefs later; and they pose a risk of backlash against over-zealous secular authorities or even against non-religious individuals by association.

It is illegal or unrecognised to identify as an atheist or as non-religious
It is made difficult to register or operate an explicitly Humanist, atheist, secularist or other non-religious NGO or other human rights organization
 
Mostly Satisfactory
Free and Equal

Constitution and government

The Constitution[ref]https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Nauru_1968.pdf?lang=en[/ref] and other laws and policies[ref]http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/[/ref] protect freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as well as freedom of opinion and expression. Limitations may be placed on these rights in the interests of “defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health.”[ref]https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Nauru_1968.pdf?lang=en, Articles 11 & 12[/ref] While there is no state religion, the preamble to the Constitution demonstrates a deference to religion stating that,

“We the people of Nauru acknowledge God as the almighty and everlasting Lord and giver of all good things:

AND WHEREAS we humbly place ourselves under the protection of His good providence and seek His blessing upon ourselves and upon our lives.”[ref]https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Nauru_1968.pdf?lang=en, Preamble[/ref]

Public officials are required to take an oath of office upon assuming their posts which require them to swear by almighty God. There does not appear to be an alternative affirmation available.

Education and children’s rights

Education is compulsory from four to 18 years old.[ref]http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/acts/756fa3748b7358b592030ac7e22efdee.pdf[/ref] There are reported to be 11 schools.[ref]https://naurueducation.org/about-our-community/[/ref] Religious groups are permitted to operate private schools. According to law, the government may provide funding to privately run schools provided doing so would not compromise its ability to provide quality education for children at government schools.[ref]http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/acts/756fa3748b7358b592030ac7e22efdee.pdf[/ref]

Article 76 of the Education Act (2011)[ref]http://ronlaw.gov.nr/nauru_lpms/files/acts/756fa3748b7358b592030ac7e22efdee.pdf[/ref] states that education in government-run schools should be non-sectarian and secular, which “may include the study of different religions as distinct from education in a particular religion.” Government-run schools may allocate up to one hour a week to the study of religious education (defined as ‘education in a particular religion as distinct from the study of different religions’). During such time, recognised religious denominations may send a representative to teach students of that denomination. In line with Article 11(3) of the Constitution, students are not required to attend religious education classes, and the parents’ wishes should be complied with. According to the law, alternative study should be made available for those not attending religious education classes in a separate room.

Family, community and society

There are no reports of social discrimination against the non-religious.

Sexual health and reproductive rights

Reports indicate that social stigma combined with religious opposition, cultural practices and popularly accepted misconceptions have led to limited access to sexual and reproductive health services.[ref]https://fj.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/180/313615_NAURU-2021-HUMAN-RIGHTS-REPORT.pdf[/ref]

Freedom of expression, advocacy of humanist values

Freedom of expression and freedom of assembly are guaranteed by the constitution but not always respected in practice. There have been increasingly frequent reports of government censorship of media, particularly attempts to prevent foreign media or activists reporting on the situation of asylum seekers in the country.[ref]https://upr-info.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-08/accessnow_upr37_nru_e_main_rev.pdf; https://fj.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/180/313615_NAURU-2021-HUMAN-RIGHTS-REPORT.pdf[/ref]

In 2016, the government enacted the Crimes Act,[ref]https://pacificdata.org/data/dataset/spc_nru_2019_phc_v01_m[/ref] which brought in criminal penalties for defamation, and also includes sedition as a crime.