E/CN.4/2001/21 page 5 Introduction 1. This report has been submitted in accordance with resolution 2000/14 (III) adopted by the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-sixth session. It should be read in conjunction with the report submitted by the Special Rapporteur to the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session (A/55/304). 2. It comprises seven chapters and contains information on the activities of the Special Rapporteur in 2000 (chap. I); on the measures taken by Governments (chap. II); on contemporary manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance (chap. III); on the replies to allegations communicated to Governments (chap. IV); on the follow-up of field visits and the legislative, judicial or other measures taken or envisaged by Governments (chap. V); and, lastly, action by civil society (chap. VI). The last chapter of the report, chapter VII, contains conclusions and recommendations. I. ACTIVITIES OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR A. Participation in the work of the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly 3. In introducing his report to the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session (A/55/304), in October 2000, the Special Rapporteur described the Freedom Party (FPO), which was a member of the coalition in power in Austria, as a notoriously xenophobic and racist party. The Austrian delegation expressed reservations about this description to the Special Rapporteur, challenging the xenophobic nature of Jörg Haider’s party; it maintained that it was a populist party of the right with extremist views, which had used xenophobic language only during the electoral campaign, after which it had entered the Government. The delegation promised to communicate to the Special Rapporteur a transcript of what it said as well as other information with a view to its inclusion in the present report. 4. However, the Special Rapporteur would point out that the conclusions reached by the three sages, namely, Martti Ahtisaari, Jochen Frowein and Marcelino Oreja (appointed in September 2000 by the European Union to look into Austria’s compliance with its obligations to protect human rights), concerning FPO do not call in question the opinion he formed on the basis of the information available to him on the activities of this party. Indeed, the three sages noted that the leaders of the FPO are former members of the Austrian National Socialist Party, which has constantly militated against the presence of foreigners in Austria; they also noted that these leaders freely use language that can be described as xenophobic and even racist. Furthermore, in the eyes of international public opinion, Jörg Haider incarnates the Austrian far right, as was shown by the violent demonstrations that marked his recent visit to the Vatican, where he received a cool welcome from Pope John Paul II and a message against racism and xenophobia in connection with the International Day of Peace to be held on 1 January 2001. The Special Rapporteur will therefore continue to follow developments as well as the activities of FPO. 5. In introducing his report to the General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur, on the basis of newspaper, radio and television reports, deplored the witch-hunts targeting Blacks which had