About

The NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief was formed in 1991 to promote and defend international agreements protecting freedom of religion or belief from within the United Nations headquarters in New York City.

The Committee, which consists of civil society leaders and organizations with UN consultative status, advances freedom of religion or belief by coordinating NGO activities in New York City. The aim to reinforce UN efficacy in protecting the rights of freedom of thought, conscience, religion, or belief; communicating with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, other relevant UN Offices, and UN member states. The committee works with concerned NGOs both in New York and in Geneva.

The Bureau

Jonathan Ammons

President

Associate Director of Public & International Affairs at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He currently serves as President of NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief and is a Term Member at Council on Foreign Relations.

Kelsey Zorzi

Vice President

An international human rights lawyer, Zorzi is the Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International and Vice President of the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

John Wagner

Secretary

The American Humanist Association’s representative to the UN, Vice President of the board of the Center for Freethought Equality and serves on the board of the Secular Humanist Society of NY. Wagner represents the International Humanist and Ethical Union at the UN and is a professor Weill Cornell Medical College.

Scott Stearman

Treasurer

Lead representative of the Baptist World Alliance to the UN and vice chair of the board of trustees for the Parliament of World Religions. For over three decades, he served as a pastor in the Christian (Baptist) tradition. His holds theological degrees from Southwestern and Princeton Seminaries and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma.

Christen Broecker

Member at large

Broecker was an IILJ Scholar from 2005-2009 and after receiving her J.D. and L.L.M in International Legal Studies from NYU Law, she joined Human Rights Watch, where she investigated the state of human rights in Indonesia and produced advocacy materials to combat violations there. She is currently the Deputy Director at the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights.

Alan Gold

Member at large

Gold has a biology and naturalist background. He is a writer, columnist and participant in numerous non-profits and charities. He spent two years in Afghanistan with the Peace Corps and has worked with the Smithsonian to collect reptiles in Central Asia. He is now retired and married with three children and six grandkids. 

Daniel Hoffman

Member at large

Former senior executive clandestine services officer in the Central Intelligence Agency where he served three times as Station Chief and as Director of the Middle East and North Africa Division. His combined 30 years of distinguished government service included high-level positions not only within the CIA, but also with the U.S. military, U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Commerce.

Bani Dugal

Member ex officio

Dugal is the Principal Representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the UN. As part of the community of international NGOs at the UN since 1994, she is currently serving on the Steering Committee of the NGO Working Group on the Security Council.