New appointment at the European Union Parliament within the 2008 programme for the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue: on Wednesday, 18 June, the Strasbourg Hemicycle is welcoming Asma Jahangir, who’s been covering the office of special speaker on freedom of religion and creed at the UNO High Commissariat for human rights since 2004. Such figure has the task of "identifying the existing and emerging obstacles on the path to enjoying the right of freedom of religion", by submitting recommendations or appeals "on the ways and means to overcome such obstacles". Moreover, she has to visit countries and submit annual reports on this subject to the bodies of the United Nations. The meeting with Asma Jahangir is part of a series of opportunities created by the Assembly to treat questions linked to the Intercultural Dialogue Year. Among the people invited to speak at the Parliament, there are Pope Benedict XVI, the Dalai Lama, the secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki Moon, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli President Shimon Peres, and the Grand Mufti of Syria.
