Overview:

• Recognition and registration are amalgamated; there exists a distinct lack of existential recognition in the country, partly also as a result of the structure of the country’s registration procedures.

• Although the Brazilian government provides for freedom of religion or belief in practice, it is classified as restrictive due to the segmentation of registration into the different states and municipalities; although this structure may have been established for practical rather than for restrictive purposes

• Zoning laws should be monitored for misuse.

Positive elements:

• The government genuinely practices freedom of religion or belief, including allowing for proselytism, the training of clergy and establishing places of worship.

Recommendations:

• Differentiation needs to be made between existential recognition and legal registration and there needs to be procedures set in place to ensure sufficient bestowal of these two separate forms of recognition.

• Establish an independent recognition agency to handle dynamically the vast diversity of beliefs and practices found in the country so that sufficient degrees of existential recognition and legal registration are bestowed.

• Rearrange segmented structure for registration.