E/CN.4/2004/63 page 28 137. The issue of defamation has been one of the Special Rapporteur’s major concerns since he took up his post, because it is an intrinsic violation of the freedom of religion or belief (see, in particular, A/56/253, paragraph 137). More recently, the Special Rapporteur has closely followed the repercussions of 11 September 2001 on Islam (see above). 3. Follow-up to the resolutions on women 138. Since 1996, the Commission has requested in its resolutions on freedom of religion or belief that the Special Rapporteur should, in preparing his reports, take women into consideration and bring out gender-specific abuses. The Special Rapporteur has accordingly introduced a category into his general reports, in the section on the analysis of communications, on violations affecting women. 139. The Special Rapporteur also addressed the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in February 1998 in order to set out his approach to the situation of women with reference to religion and to initiate exchanges of views; he gave particular attention to this vulnerable group in the context of the International Consultative Conference on School Education in Relation to Freedom of Religion or Belief, Tolerance and Non-Discrimination. In the two studies he submitted to the Preparatory Committee of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, the Special Rapporteur also drew attention to the situation of women. 140. Lastly, at the fifty-eighth session of the Commission, the Special Rapporteur submitted a study on freedom of religion or belief and the situation of women vis-à-vis religion and traditions (E/CN.4/2002/73/Add.2). 141. The Special Rapporteur has on several occasions recommended that the relevant United Nations mechanisms as a whole should prepare an action plan to deal with discrimination affecting women that can be imputed to religions and traditions. B. Cooperation with United Nations human rights mechanisms and the specialized agencies 142. Cooperation with the United Nations human rights mechanisms was initially with the other thematic and geographical special procedures mechanisms, for the most part informally but also in the annual meetings of special rapporteurs in Geneva. 143. As regards the treaty bodies, the Human Rights Committee’s case law on freedom of religion or belief has always been a basis for activities under the mandate. Cooperation has also been initiated with the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (see above), as well as with the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 144. As far as cooperation with the United Nations specialized agencies is concerned, UNESCO, which plays an important role with regard to religions, has been a valuable partner, particularly on the issue of inter-religious dialogue and in the context of the International