A/53/279 I. Introduction 1. At its forty-second session, the Commission on Human Rights decided, by resolution 1986/20 of 10 March 1986, to appoint for one year a special rapporteur to examine incidents and governmental actions in all parts of the world inconsistent with the provisions of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, and to recommend remedial measures. 2. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur has been regularly extended, in particular by resolution 1998/18 of the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-fourth session. Since 1988, the Special Rapporteur has been submitting annual progress reports to the Commission on Human Rights (E/CN.4/1987/35; E/CN.4/1988/45 and Add.1; E/CN.4/1989/44; E/CN.4/1990/46; E/CN.4/1991/56; E/CN.4/1992/52; E/CN.4/1993/62 and Corr.1 and Add.1; E/CN.4/1994/79; E/CN.4/1995/91 and Add.1; E/CN.4/1996/95 and Add.1 and 2; E/CN.4/1997/91 and Add.1; E/CN.4/1998/6 and Add.1 and 2) and, since 1994, to the General Assembly (A/50/440, A/51/542 and Add.1 and 2, A/52/477 and Add.1). 3. This interim report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 52/122 of 12 December 1997. II. Initiatives of the Special Rapporteur concerning, on the one hand, the identification of legislation in the field of tolerance and nondiscrimination concerning religion or belief and, on the other, the development of a culture of tolerance A. Legislation 4. As he explained in his report on the implementation of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief (E/CN.4/1998/6), pursuant to the provisions of the Declaration, resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights and of the General Assembly, studies by special rapporteurs and reports of the Secretary-General in the area of freedom of religion and of belief, the Special Rapporteur decided to undertake a new initiative, namely by preparing an international compendium of constitutional and legislative provisions concerning religion and belief. This compendium – which would, of course, have to be updated regularly – would serve as a basic yardstick for a thorough knowledge of the legal situation of States in the area of religion and belief, and for preparing in situ visits and even for examining allegations in the area of tolerance and non-discrimination based on religion or belief and therefore for the drafting of communications. It would provide a unique opportunity for highlighting and understanding the positive contributions of the bodies of law of the various States, the limitations or obstacles that they may constitute and of how they evolve over time. 5. Accordingly, in 1997, the Special Rapporteur wrote to all States requesting the text of the constitutions in force or any equivalent instruments, and also legislation and regulations relating to religious freedom and the practice of worship. 6. To date he has received information from the following 43 States: Algeria, Armenia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chile, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Malta, Mauritius, Namibia, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Uruguay, Venezuela, Yugoslavia. 7. The Special Rapporteur calls on all other States to help expand the effectiveness of his mandate by sending copies of their legislation so as to increase understanding of and familiarity with their legal situation. B. Culture of tolerance 8. The development of a culture of tolerance depends essentially on education. Education can be decisive in inculcating values predicated on human rights and fostering tolerant, non-discriminatory attitudes and behaviours. The school, as an essential element in the educational system, may constitute an essential and preferred vehicle for the prevention of intolerance and discrimination through the dissemination of a culture of human rights. 9. Starting with the International Conference on Human Rights, which was held in Tehran in 1968, in the context of review of the progress made since the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the development of a programme for the future, States were invited to ensure that all educational means were used so that youth might grow up and develop in respect for the dignity of man and equal 3