A/HRC/10/8 page 5 5. Since the review, rationalization and improvement process regarding the mandate in December 2007, the Special Rapporteur has undertaken her activities according to these four pillars. In conformity with the first pillar, she has for instance participated in several regional and international initiatives related to freedom of religion or belief. With regard to initiatives at the national level, the Special Rapporteur promoted the adoption of measures to ensure the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief, for example, during country visits. Communications with Governments and country visits helped her implement the second and third pillars. Furthermore, she has strived to apply a gender perspective throughout all her activities, mainly during country visits and through thematic reports submitted to the General Assembly and the Council. While these four pillars may, in some instances, overlap, the Special Rapporteur has, for the sake of clarity, clustered the overview of her recent activities under the above four headings. A. Promotion of the adoption of measures at the national, regional and international levels to ensure the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief 6. At the national level, the Special Rapporteur has held numerous formal and informal brainstorming meetings with representatives of States and civil society organizations in order to reflect on the situation of freedom of religion or belief in a given country.1 These meetings were mainly held during country visits, at sessions of the Assembly and the Council, as well as during various conferences. Research on the status of freedom of religion or belief in specific country situations is conducted on an ongoing basis by the mandate-holder. 7. At the regional level, the Special Rapporteur was involved in an initiative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe for the development of the Toledo Guiding Principles on Teaching about Religions and Beliefs in Public Schools.2 Since 1994, the Commission on Human Rights had encouraged the Special Rapporteur to examine the contribution of education in promoting tolerance of religion and belief. This framework enabled the previous mandate-holder, Abdelfattah Amor, to be actively involved in the organization of the International Consultative Conference on School Education in relation to Freedom of Religion or Belief, Tolerance and Non-discrimination in 2001. In 2007, the current mandate-holder participated in the elaboration of the Toledo Guiding Principles, which she believes may contribute to enhancing religious tolerance. 8. According to the Toledo Guiding Principles, teaching about religions and beliefs must be provided in ways that are fair, accurate and based on sound scholarship. The environment in which students learn about religions and beliefs must be respectful of human rights, fundamental freedoms and civic values. While the Toledo Guiding Principles recognize that teaching about religions and beliefs is a major responsibility of schools, they also acknowledge the role of families and religious or belief organizations in transmitting values to successive generations. With regard to compulsory programmes involving teaching about religions and beliefs, 1 See E/CN.4/2005/61, paras. 15-20 and E/CN.4/2006/5, annex, as well as the online digest of her framework for communications (www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/religion/standards.htm). 2 Available at the website http://www.osce.org/publications/odihr/2007/11/28314_993_en.pdf.