A/56/253 provisions of the resolution in his reports, inter alia. The same approach was used the next year in Commission resolution 2000/84 of 26 April 2000. 136. At its most recent session, the Commission adopted resolution 2001/4 on combating defamation of religions as a means to promote human rights, social harmony and religious and cultural diversity. This resolution no longer refers to the Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance, and calls upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to promote and include human rights aspects in the Dialogue among Civilizations, inter alia through: (a) integrating them into topical seminars and special debates on the positive contributions of cultures, as well as religious and cultural diversity; and (b) collaboration by the Office of the High Commissioner with other international organizations in holding joint conferences designed to encourage this dialogue and promote understanding of the universality of human rights and their implementation at various levels. 137. The Special Rapporteur wishes to emphasize that his mandate has always been concerned with the issue of defamation which essentially constitutes a violation of freedom of religion and belief. It is clear from the Special Rapporteur’s general or mission reports9 that, since 1988, the following evolution has taken place: (a) Until the end of the cold war, a policy, in the eastern bloc, of encouraging an a-religious or even anti-religious ideology, inter alia through the defamation of religion, generally perceived as “the opium of the people”; (b) Since the end of the cold war, general disappearance of such defamation policies from all but a few States which, although their policy is no longer to combat religion, in practice put religion entirely in the service of politics and in so doing orchestrate, inter alia, defamation campaigns against any religious community or individual that contests State interference; (c) Rise of atheism, particularly in the West, and questioning of the role of religion in society and public institutions, articulated either through the legitimate exercise of the right to criticize, or through the defamation of religion; (d) In recent years — especially since the Gulf War and the intensification of armed conflict in the occupied territories — a media campaign, on the part of some broadcasters, of Islamophobia on an international scale, not to mention similar attacks on other religions, albeit limited to certain States; (e) Finally, one constant: defamation often stems from interreligious, as well as intra-religious intolerance and/or ignorance, often in the context of an adversarial relationship between majority and minorities. 138. The Special Rapporteur thus shares the concerns expressed by the Commission on Human Rights concerning the undermining of religion through defamation. However, he wishes to stress the importance of ensuring that efforts to combat defamation are not used as an excuse to restrict freedom of expression and the right to criticize, which would be contrary to human rights. 3. Follow-up to resolutions on women 139. The Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly have always accorded special attention to the situation of women with regard to religion in their resolutions governing the mandate on the freedom of religion and belief. Accordingly, the resolutions have condemned practices which violate women’s 38