Suppressing religious freedom, a fundamental human right, can lead to violence and societal damage, said Jonathan Gallagher, United Nations liaison for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. "One of the most frequent destabilizing factors in society continues to be the abuse of religious rights," he noted.

Gallagher spoke at a symposium on "Human Rights and the Administration of Justice," sponsored by the Jamaican Ministry of Justice and Northern Caribbean University (NCU), held on the NCU Campus in Mandeville, Jamaica, February 22 to 23.

The two-day forum, themed "Justice, Truth and Accountability," brought together experts, decision-makers, students, teachers and personnel from national and international agencies -- government and non-government -- who work, or have an interest, in the administration of justice.

Maarit Kohonen, representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said governments devoted to protecting all human rights should establish "human rights information systems at national levels [that] create a culture of accountability and in turn will engender the application of justice." [Editor: Libna Stevens for APD]