United Nations General Assembly A/HRC/37/49/Add.2 Distr.: General 22 February 2018 Original: English Human Rights Council Thirty-seventh session 26 February–23 March 2018 Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, Political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief on his mission to Uzbekistan* Note by the Secretariat The Secretariat has the honour to transmit to the Human Rights Council the report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Ahmed Shaheed, on his mission to Uzbekistan from 2 to 12 October 2017. In the report, the Special Rapporteur analyses the limitations to the right to freedom of religion or belief imposed by the State on different religious communities in the name of upholding constitutional “secularism” and combating “extremism”. He notes the efforts of the ongoing reform process that could address some of the challenges identified and stresses the need to move from promoting religious tolerance to religious freedom by increasing literacy with regard to both religions and freedom of religion or belief. * The present document was submitted late to conference services without the explanation required under paragraph 8 of General Assembly resolution 53/208. GE.18-02748(E) 