A/52/471 English Page 5 interim report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session and a comprehensive report to the Commission at its fifty-fourth session. B. Missions under consideration by the Special Rapporteur 10. After the fifty-third session of the Commission on Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur had considered undertaking missions to Australia and South Africa. 1. Australia 11. In his latest report to the Commission on Human Rights (E/CN.4/1997/71), the Special Rapporteur stated that he had written to the Australian Government regarding two communications which he had received in 1996 and which contained allegations of a rise in racism and xenophobia, particularly towards Aborigines and Australians of Asian origin. No response regarding the two communications had been forthcoming from the Australian Government. However, the latter subsequently responded positively, on 25 August 1997, to the Special Rapporteur's request to undertake a mission to Australia. He welcomed this response from the Australian Government and plans to carry out his mission immediately after participating in the work of the Third Committee of the General Assembly. 2. South Africa 12. During the fifty-third session of the Commission on Human Rights, several representatives of non-governmental organizations reported on the worrying situation in South Africa, attributable, inter alia, to the legacy of apartheid, inter-ethnic conflicts and problems related to massive immigration. The Government has imposed restrictions on immigration which several organizations consider to be discriminatory towards foreigners. In order to assess the situation in person, the Special Rapporteur had considered undertaking a mission to that country in August 1997. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Centre for Human Rights contacted the Permanent Mission of South Africa in Geneva to this end but is still awaiting a response from the South African Government. Since the dates planned for the mission have passed, it has been postponed until a response is received. III. CONTEMPORARY MANIFESTATIONS OF RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED INTOLERANCE 13. As in his previous reports, the Special Rapporteur would like to highlight the most significant events which have taken place as regards contemporary manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. These concern discrimination against immigrants and migrant workers; human rights violations in holding areas in France; the role of the media, particularly the Internet, in inciting racial hatred and violence; /...