A/55/280 I. Introduction 1. At its forty-second session, the Commission on Human Rights decided, by resolution 1986/20 of 10 March 1986, to appoint for one year a special rapporteur to examine incidents and governmental actions in all parts of the world inconsistent with the provisions of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, and to recommend remedial measures for such situations. 2. Pursuant to this resolution, the Special Rapporteur has submitted 14 reports, in some cases with addenda, to the Commission on Human Rights since 1987. Reports since 1994, including the present one, have been submitted to the General Assembly in accordance with its resolution 54/159. II. Report on communications sent by the Special Rapporteur and replies received from States since the publication of the report submitted to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-sixth session 3. This report covers a total of 39 communications (including an urgent appeal to the Islamic Republic of Iran) sent to 25 States: Afghanistan (2), Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, China (3), Egypt (3), Georgia (2), India (2), Indonesia (4), Iran (Islamic Republic of), Israel, Jordan (2), Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Myanmar, Nigeria (2), Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Turkey (2), Turkmenistan (2), Uganda and Yemen. 4. The report also concerns the replies of States to the communications, on the one hand those sent in the context of the preceding report, submitted to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-sixth session (nine States: Azerbaijan, Brunei Darussalam, China, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Russian Federation, Ukraine and Viet Nam); and, on the other hand, those sent in relation to the allegations contained in the present report (10 States: Azerbaijan, Egypt, Georgia, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kuwait, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka and Turkey). wishes to point out that communications sent within the past two months have not been summarized in the present report if the deadline for the States concerned has not yet expired (Bulgaria, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Turkey and Yemen) or, of course, if a State has not yet replied. The Special Rapporteur wishes to stress that Kuwait replied on 24 July 2000 to a communication from the Special Rapporteur dated 17 July 2000. This communication and Kuwait’s reply have therefore been reflected in this report. The Special Rapporteur wishes to thank Kuwait, in particular, for responding so promptly. 6. The Special Rapporteur also considers the constraints imposed this year on special rapporteurs reporting to the General Assembly entirely inappropriate and counterproductive. The decision to make the deadline for submission of reports the end of July 2000 (contrary to the traditional deadline, the end of September) shows a total lack of understanding of, and even indifference to, the working methods of special rapporteurs. Although the Commission on Human Rights ended its fifty-sixth session in April 2000, the Special Rapporteur was requested this year to submit a report to the General Assembly on his activities covering a maximum period of three months (May-July 2000), a requirement which is not likely to allow for high-quality work and makes it difficult to prepare consistent reports. In the case of the mandate on religious intolerance, fewer observations and replies could be addressed in the present report than in previous years because of the short period of time covered and the working methods appropriate to the mandate. The special procedures involved must not be reduced, either partially or totally, to a merely formal operation. 7. The Special Rapporteur wishes to point out that all States, without exception, have cases and/or situations of discrimination or intolerance in respect of religion or belief, although of different types and degrees. The strengthening of the resources at his disposal would enable the Special Rapporteur to fulfil his mandate to prepare a world report on freedom of religion or belief. Meanwhile, pending the achievement of this objective, the Special Rapporteur has tried to cover the problems or intolerance and discrimination that reflect the situation throughout the world. 5. In accordance with his working methods and the rules governing his mandate, the Special Rapporteur 3