E/CN.4/2004/63 page 31 difficulties that can only be avoided by familiarity with other religions and by real and not assumed respect for them. The fragile nature of this dialogue is revealed in several recent examples involving the interests of the communities seeking to participate in it. The Special Rapporteur also considers that, in the implementation of international obligations concerning freedom of religion or belief, States, which often wrongly consider that they should play a discreet background role in inter-religious matters, ought to involve themselves more formally in inter-religious dialogue and take specific and deliberate steps to encourage it. 156. As regards education as a means to combat intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief, it is far from having freed itself from automatic identification with religion as a comfortable refuge and an easy alibi. Declarations of self-satisfaction with one’s own tolerance serve as justification, and an indifferent acknowledgement of the other serves to replace genuine tolerance. As regards the situations that have put schools in several European countries in the forefront of current events, the Special Rapporteur draws attention to the dangers both of imposing uniformity and of mistrust of diversity and making use of freedom of religion or belief for purposes foreign to them and building ghettos. 157. As for the steps effectively taken in education in religious tolerance, the task seems far from finished; despite UNESCO’s energetic action, the international community does not seem to feel particularly concerned. It is symptomatic that, despite the invitation to States by the General Assembly and the Commission to implement the final document adopted on 25 November 2001 by the International Consultative Conference on School Education in relation to Freedom of Religion or Belief, Tolerance and Non-Discrimination, few new initiatives or actions are visible apart from the remarkable efforts and intelligent activities of certain non-governmental organizations. The Special Rapporteur has a duty to stress once again the fundamental, central and essential nature of education in promoting respect for freedom of religion or belief and energetically to encourage States to grant priority and find adequate resources for actions that may be taken in this regard. 158. Lastly, as regards the other difficulties inherent in the activities of managing the mandate, without which the Special Rapporteur not only could not be in a position to carry out his task effectively but could not assess with exactitude and precision the progress to be made in terms of freedom of religion or belief, he can only encourage States to cooperate more both as regards the communications he submits to them and the requests for visits he sends them; such cooperation is essential to the existence of a mechanism capable of tackling one of the most sensitive aspects of present-day society. -----