A/53/279 Country China Pakistan Iran (Islamic Republic of) Greece Sudan India Period Report November 1994 E/CN.4/1995/91 June 1995 E/CN.4/1996/95/Add.1 December 1995 E/CN.4/1996/95/Add.2 June 1996 A/51/542/Add.1 September 1996 A/51/542/Add.2 December 1996 E/CN.4/1997/91/Add.1 Australia February-March 1997 E/CN.4/1998/6/Add.1 Germany September 1997 E/CN.4/1998/6/Add.2 January-February 1998 Report to be submitted at next session of the CommissiononHumanRights United States of America 23. With respect to requests for visits, at the last session of the Commission on Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur announced that Viet Nam had agreed in principle to an in situ visit. That agreement, which responded to a request sent in 1995, was formalized on 17 April 1998. The Special Rapporteur is to carry out this mission during the second half of October 1998. 24. However, the Special Rapporteur regrets that the following States have not answered his requests for visits: Country Date of request Reminders Turkey 1995 X Indonesia 1996 X Mauritius 1996 Israel 1997 Russian Federation 1998 25. As shown by this table, the earliest request, in respect of which reminders have been sent and which remains a priority for the Special Rapporteur, relates to Turkey. Reiterating his desire for cooperation and dialogue, the Special Rapporteur calls upon the Turkish authorities to extend their cooperation so as to make this in situ visit possible and thus enable the Special Rapporteur to carry out his mandate in full. The collaboration of Indonesia, Mauritius, Israel and the Russian Federation is also strongly encouraged. 26. The Special Rapporteur wishes to stress that the choice of countries to visit may be made in various ways: at the initiative of the Special Rapporteur, of the Commission on Human Rights and/or the General Assembly or of States. The initiatives of the Special Rapporteur are based on a wide variety of factors, such as the existence of communications and/or petitions, which often reveal situations in the area of 6 freedom of religion and belief that go beyond specific, isolated cases; specific experiences with regard to tolerance and non-discrimination on the grounds of religion and belief; and the need to ensure balance by taking into account the geographical, political, economic, social, cultural and religious situation of each country visited. The Special Rapporteur is convinced that the credibility and effectiveness of a thematic mandate under the special procedures is closely linked to the absence of selectivity or double standards. Accordingly, no State, regardless of its position in the international community, can be exempt from a potential visit by the Special Rapporteur. Moreover, it seems evident that no State can lay claim to perfection, since manifestations of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief have arisen in all countries, albeit to different degrees. 27. The preparation and conduct of in situ visits are the responsibility of the Special Rapporteur, who is assisted, in his decisions and instructions, by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and by United Nations agencies, particularly the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and United Nations information centres. These duties also include a process of negotiation and collaboration with the authorities of the country concerned. The process as a whole requires not only mutual respect and reciprocal efforts towards understanding, but also absolute independence on the part of the special rapporteurs in relation to all parties concerned. 28. The procedure for visit follow-up consists of preparing follow-up tables and asking States which have received an in situ visit to send their comments and any information on actions taken or envisaged by the authorities concerned to implement the recommendations made in the mission reports. The Special Rapporteur has received very satisfactory cooperation in this regard, as shown by the table below: Country Date of submission of follow-up table Reply China 1996; A/51/542 1996; A/51/542 Pakistan 1996; A/51/542 1997; A/52/477/ Add.1 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 1996; A/51/542 No formal reply Greece 1997; A/52/477/Add.1 1997; E/CN.4/1998/6 Sudan 1997; A/52/477/Add.1 1997; A/52/477/ Add.1 India 1997; A/52/477/Add.1 1998; annex to the present report 29. The Special Rapporteur would like to thank the abovementioned States not only for their cooperation in connection with in situ visits, but also for taking a constructive approach