E/CN.4/1987/35 page 5 right which those States that have ratified the above-mentioned international instruments are legally bound to enforce within their territory, and it sets forth the measures necessary for ensuring the enjoyment of that right. 10. The existence of international legal standards guaranteeing the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion is therefore undeniable. Such guarantees are also found, at the internal level, in many national legislations, either in constitutional texts or other legislative provisions, as the Special Rapporteur appointed under Commission on Human Rights resolution 1986/20 noted with satisfaction when considering the communications addressed to him by several Governments. The communications also indicated that many States were concerned with ensuring respect for the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and that a number of them have implemented specific measures aimed at enforcing and promoting this right, such as the establishment of conciliation procedures in religious matters, non-interference by the State in the conduct of religious affairs, and the promotion of a dialogue between the various denominations. 11. Nevertheless, a brief survey of the current situation serves to establish the persistence of the phenomenon of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief, and the extent and seriousness of these manifestations. In this context, the Special Rapporteur, on the basis of the information compiled by him from various sources, has attempted to identify the factors that specifically impede the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration, and has gone on to list the various infringements of these provisions and, at a more general level, the other human rights infringements stemming from intolerance and discrimination in matters of religion and of belief. Drawing on these specific observations, the Special Rapporteur has endeavoured to formulate a number of recommendations aimed, if not at containing, at least at attenuating the scope of an evil whose effects are felt throughout the world.