E/CN.4/2006/5 page 20 freedom of religion or belief, rarely organize intergovernmental events to discuss the rise of religious intolerance, in particular at the regional level. The Special Rapporteur encourages more intergovernmental dialogue on the issues relating to her mandate, so as to increase the involvement of the relevant policymakers. 63. The Special Rapporteur expresses her gratitude to the Governments of Sri Lanka, Nigeria and France for their cooperation during her visits during the period under review. She considers that this cooperation will eventually prove beneficial to those States because all States have an interest in improving religious tolerance and religious freedom. She therefore encourages all States to respond favourably to her requests for country visits so as to enable her to fulfil her mandate more effectively. 64. However, there is a real concern that the number of countries that do not extend invitations for in situ visits is increasing. This trend is particularly worrying because these are the countries concerning which she has received substantial allegations regarding violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur reiterates her support for a mechanism to appropriately address the situation of countries that consistently fail to cooperate with the special procedures mechanisms. She encourages States and other actors to consider this issue in the context of the efforts relating to United Nations reform. In particular, they should consider, barring those States that do not cooperate with the special procedures in the context of country visits, from consideration for membership in the new body. 65. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the responses received from Governments to the communications sent during the period under review. She reiterates the importance of initiating a dialogue with Governments on allegations of violations of the freedom of religion or belief in their countries. Accordingly, she has taken steps to improve the specificity and quality of the communications she sends to Governments by developing a framework on communications. She hopes that Governments will reciprocate by increasing their efforts to respond to her communications fully and in a timely manner, responding to the specific questions raised. 66. The Special Rapporteur has formulated a set of general criteria on religious symbols, including “neutral indicators” and “aggravating indicators”, in order to provide some guidance on the applicable human rights standards and their scope. She would like to emphasize that restrictions may not be imposed for discriminatory purposes or applied in a discriminatory manner. Limitations must be directly related and proportionate to the specific need on which they are predicated. The burden of justifying a limitation upon the freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief lies with the State. The chosen measures should promote religious tolerance and avoid stigmatizing any particular religious community. Furthermore, the principles of appropriateness and proportionality need to be thoroughly respected both by the administration and during possible legal review. 67. During the period under review, the Special Rapporteur continued to receive reports of cases or situations where persons had deliberately offended the religions of