E/CN.4/2002/73/Add.1 page 3 Introduction 1. From 23 to 30 April 2001, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief visited Argentina at his request and at the invitation of the Argentine Government. 2. During his visit to Buenos Aires, the Special Rapporteur spoke with Mr. Fernando de la Rua, President of the Republic, government authorities (Mr. Adalberto Rodríguez Giavarini, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Norberto Padilla, Secretary of Worship, Mr. Jorge de la Rua, Minister of Justice, and Mr. Melchor Cruchaga, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice), officials of various ministries, including the Ministry of Education, the Advisory Council on Religious Freedom, the President and Vice-President of the Supreme Court, the Director of the National Institute to Combat Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism, the Director of the National Institute of Indigenous Affairs and the Buenos Aires Ombudsman. 3. He also held discussions with representatives of the Catholic Church, religious minorities, including ethnic minorities (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Baha’i, in particular), humanists and indigenous peoples. 4. The Special Rapporteur met with non-governmental organizations, including the Centre for Legal and Social Studies (CELS), the Argentine League for the Rights of Man, the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights, the Ecumenical Movement for Human Rights and New Human Rights. 5. The Special Rapporteur received advice from eminent persons such as Mr. Leonardo Franco, former Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Sudan and senior official of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; Mrs. Monica Pinto, former Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Guatemala and academic secretary in the Buenos Aires Faculty of Law and Social Sciences; Mr. Hipólito Solari Yrigoyen, Senator, Vice-Chairman of the Human Rights Committee; Mr. Mario Yutsis, member of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; Mr. Andrès D’Alessio, Dean of the Buenos Aires Faculty of Law and Social Sciences; and Mr. Pinayan, expert on religious communities in Argentina. 6. The Special Rapporteur wishes to express his appreciation to the President of the Republic, for whom he has great respect and with whom he had the honour of holding a very useful and rewarding discussion. He thanks all the authorities for their full cooperation during the visit. The contribution of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Secretary of Worship deserves special mention. The Special Rapporteur is also particularly grateful to Mr. Leonardo Franco for his devotion and the contribution he made during the visit. The cooperation of the United Nations Development Programme was particularly welcome. 7. The Special Rapporteur focused on the legal aspects of freedom of religion and belief and on policy and the situation in respect of freedom of religion and belief. 8. The Special Rapporteur first wishes to transmit the following data and statistics.