A/HRC/7/10/Add.3 page 4 Introduction 1. The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Asma Jahangir, carried out a mission to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland1 from 4 to 15 June 2007, at the invitation of the Government. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the fact that the Government had already issued a standing invitation to all thematic special procedures starting in March 2001. 2. The Special Rapporteur wishes to thank the authorities of the United Kingdom for the excellent cooperation extended to her before, during and after the country visit. The remarkable practical organization of official meetings made her visit intense and very fruitful. At the request of the Special Rapporteur, the Government immediately facilitated, also at short notice, in situ visits to a school, an immigration removal centre, a police station and a prison, where in each case the Special Rapporteur could freely talk with pupils and detainees. 3. During her visit, the Special Rapporteur had numerous meetings in London and several suburbs from 4 to 7 June and again from 14 to 15 June 2007. Furthermore, she travelled to Birmingham (8 June), Bradford (9 June), Glasgow (10-11 June) and Belfast (12-13 June), where she met with government officials, political leaders, legal professionals as well as representatives of religious or belief communities, members of civil society and academics. 4. The Special Rapporteur held talks with the Prime Minister, the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government as well as the Chaplain General of HM Prison Service. Furthermore, she met with members of the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Education and Skills, the Department of Communities and Local Government, the Border and Immigration Agency, the Commission for Racial Equality, the Birmingham City Council, the Bradford Metropolitan District Council Equalities Service, the Bradford Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education, Education Bradford, the Scottish Executive, Strathclyde Police Headquarters, the Glasgow City Council, the Equal Opportunities Commission Scotland, the Northern Ireland Policing Board, the Machinery of Government Division in the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister, the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland. 5. Moreover, the Special Rapporteur met with several members of the House of Lords, the House of Commons, the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly. In Belfast, she 1 The term “United Kingdom” comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This report does not cover the situation in the Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. For further information on the Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies see the Human Rights Committee’s concluding observations (CCPR/CO/73/UK; CCPR/CO/73/UKOT, paras. 22-38) and the Government’s periodic reports (CCPR/C/UKOT/99/5, paras. 100 and 156 as well as CCPR/C/GBR/6, paras. 612-626).