E/CN.4/2000/65 page 3 Executive summary Since 1987, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission has been examining incidents and governmental action 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 has been recommending remedial measures for such situations. Since that date, a report has been submitted each year to the Commission on Human Rights and, since 1994, to the General Assembly. The present report, which is submitted in accordance with Commission resolution 1999/39 of 26 April 1999, contains, firstly, a report on communications sent by the Special Rapporteur and replies received from States since the publication of the report submitted to the Commission at its fifty-fifth session; it covers 93 communications, including 2 urgent appeals, sent to 55 States, as well as 23 replies received from States. Secondly, the Special Rapporteur describes the follow-up to the Commission’s initiatives concerning the World Conference against Racism and the resolution on defamation, as well as his own initiatives concerning studies, legislation and the culture of tolerance. He also deals with in situ visits and, in particular, with his visit to the Holy See in September 1999. The visit to the Vatican represents a new form of visit that supplements the “traditional” visits which have been made thus far and are intended to establish a direct dialogue with the main religions and beliefs on the 1981 Declaration and all matters relating to freedom of religion and belief and to provide solutions to problems of intolerance and discrimination that may arise in this regard. The Special Rapporteur’s conclusions offer an analysis of violations of freedom of religion and belief in 1999 based on the identification of the main trends. Recommendations are then made in order to prevent the violations of the 1981 Declaration that have been found to exist.