A/RES/71/196 Freedom of religion or belief 15. Welcomes and encourages initiatives by the media to promote tolerance and respect for religious and cultural diversity and the universal promo tion and protection of human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, and stresses the importance of unhindered participation in the media and in public discourse for all persons, regardless of their religion or belief; 16. Stresses the importance of a continued and strengthened dialogue in all its forms, including among and within religions or beliefs, and with broader participation, including of women, to promote greater tolerance, respect and mutual understanding, and welcomes different initiatives in this regard, including the Alliance of Civilizations initiative and the programmes led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; 17. Welcomes and encourages the continuing efforts of all actors in society, including national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and bodies and groups based on religion or belief, to promote the implementation of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, 5 and further encourages their work in promoting freedom of religion or belief, in highlighting cases of religious intolerance, discrimination and persecution and in promoting religious tolerance; 18. Recommends that States, the United Nations and other actors, including national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and bodies and groups based on religion or belief, in their efforts to promote freedom of religion or belief, ensure the widest possible dissemination of the text of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief in as many different languages as possible, and promote its implementation; 19. Takes note with appreciation of the work and the interim report of the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on freedom of religion or belief on the broad range of violations of freedom of religion or belief, their root causes and variables; 6 20. Urges all Governments to cooperate fully with the Special Ra pporteur, to respond favourably to his requests to visit their countries and to provide all information and follow-up necessary for the effective fulfilment of his mandate; 21. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the Special Rapporteur receives the resources necessary to fully discharge his mandate; 22. Requests the Special Rapporteur to submit an interim report to the General Assembly at its seventy-second session; 23. Decides to consider the question of the elimination of all forms of religious intolerance at its seventy-second session under the item entitled “Promotion and protection of human rights”. 65th plenary meeting 19 December 2016 _______________ 5 6 6/6 Resolution 36/55. See A/71/269.

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