E/CN.4/1996/72/Add.4 page 2 INTRODUCTION A. Purpose of the mission 1. In compliance with Commission on Human Rights resolutions 1993/20 of 2 March 1993 and 1995/12 of 24 February 1995, the Special Rapporteur visited the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 13 to 24 November 1995, as agreed with the Government of that country. The Special Rapporteur's purpose was to examine incidents of contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, any form of discrimination against Blacks, Arabs and Muslims, xenophobia, negrophobia, anti-Semitism and related intolerance, as well as governmental measures to overcome them. 2. Allegations received at the Centre for Human Rights referred to a multiplication of racist incidents in the United Kingdom due, in particular, to the activities of movements of the far right and to the behaviour of the police towards certain ethnic minorities. Jewish organizations had also informed the Special Rapporteur of the resurgence of anti-Semitic acts prompted by the propaganda of fundamentalist Islamic organizations and organizations of the far right. 3. The mission was also timely since, in July 1995, the Human Rights Committee, after considering the fourth periodic report of the United Kingdom, submitted in accordance with article 40 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR/C/95/Add.3), had expressed regret “concerning the failure to address adequately issues properly arising under article 26 [prohibition of discrimination] of the Covenant” (CCPR/C/79/Add.55, para. 2). The Committee had also expressed concern on a number of matters directly or indirectly related to the question of racism and racial discrimination. 1/ B. Mission programme 4. The Special Rapporteur first visited London, where he met with officials and high-level political figures, including the Honourable Timothy Kirkhope, MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs; Mr. Philip Astley, Head, Human Rights and Humanitarian Division, Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and the Honourable Douglas Henderson, MP (Labour), shadow spokesperson on community race relations. A working meeting was held in which Mr. Ranjit Zondhi, Deputy Chairman, and Mr. Sukh Dev Sharma, Executive Director, of the Commission for Racial Equality, participated. The Special Rapporteur also met Mr. Michael Banton, a member of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and attended an extremely interesting lecture by the Right Honourable the Lord MacKay of Clashfern, entitled “Racial Equality and the Courts: the Lord Chancellor's perspective”. 5. The Special Rapporteur then travelled to the Midlands (in the north of England) and visited the cities of Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, where he had fruitful meetings with municipal officials working to improve race relations in their cities and with officials of the regional offices of the Commission for Racial Equality.