E/CN.4/1998/6 page 26 following: “Special Rapporteur for the implementation of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief”; “Special Rapporteur on the elimination of all forms of intolerance or discrimination based on religion or belief”; or “Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief”. 105. The present Special Rapporteur's preference is for the last title, “Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief”. First, it encompasses not only freedom of religion but also freedom of belief, in other words, agnosticism, freethinking, atheism and rationalism, and secondly it does not carry the negative connotations of intolerance and discrimination. It is a neutral title, comparable to “Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression”, which faithfully reflects the Special Rapporteur's mandate and thus facilitates cooperation with all parties concerned. Lastly, it is a concise practical title that is easy to use. The Special Rapporteur wishes to emphasize the difficulties and tensions to which the terms “intolerance” and “discrimination” may give rise in his dealings with some of his interlocutors, with whom dialogue is thus rendered more difficult. 106. The Special Rapporteur wishes to express his thanks to Governments for having cooperated with the activities of the mandate, and especially those which have attempted, since the establishment of the mandate, to shed light on the allegations transmitted and have replied positively to requests for in situ visits, information and documentation, particularly in the fields of legislation and education. 107. Regarding the replies by States to the communications, the Special Rapporteur wishes to point out that since he took office, the deadlines for replies have been set at two months for an ordinary communication and two weeks for urgent appeals. The decision to set reasonable deadlines for replies, enabling the necessary investigations to be undertaken, should not however lead to excessive delay. It is also essential for the successful implementation of the mandate that all States receiving requests take the trouble to reply to communications. In order to remedy the problems of late replies and failure to reply, during this year the Special Rapporteur has adopted the practice of sending reminders. Unfortunately, few States have responded to these reminders. For this reason, the Special Rapporteur appeals to the sense of responsibility of the States concerned and invites them, should they encounter difficulties with reply deadlines, to consult him. While reiterating his openness and desire for dialogue, the Special Rapporteur could, as some parties have requested, consider publishing a table outlining the attitude taken by the States to which requests have been sent since the establishment of the mandate. 108. The Special Rapporteur at the same time wishes to thank the non-governmental organizations for cooperating in his mandated activities, both by providing information, analyses and advice, particularly in connection with the gathering and verification of allegations and the preparation and conduct of in situ visits, and by taking initiatives to strengthen the mandate in intellectual, financial, logistical and human terms. 109. The Special Rapporteur also wishes to expand his cooperation with the treaty bodies, particularly the Human Rights Committee, the Committee on the