A/HRC/16/53 issued a joint statement together with the director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.1 In Vienna, he also met with members of the OSCE Advisory Council of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief. 7. At the international level, the Special Rapporteur issued a joint press statement on 17 September 2010 in anticipation of the High-level Plenary Meeting of the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals.2 The 26 special procedures mandate holders argued that the implementation of the agreed outcome document (General Assembly resolution 65/1) must have a stronger focus on human rights not only to ensure the achievement of the Goals, but to also make them meaningful for the billions of people who need them most. The experts emphasized that some groups, including those who face religious discrimination, too often find themselves forgotten. They added that poverty gaps will increase unless programmes such as those to achieve the Millennium Development Goals address the unique circumstances of these groups and the causes and effects of the discrimination that limits access to education or jobs. B. Identification of existing and emerging obstacles to the enjoyment of the right to freedom of religion or belief and presentation of recommendations on ways and means to overcome such obstacles 8. The Special Rapporteur has held public or bilateral meetings with representatives of States and civil society organizations to discuss existing and emerging obstacles to the enjoyment of the right to freedom of religion or belief. He met with numerous members of religious or belief communities and held public briefings with them, for example in Geneva on 23 September 2010 and in New York on 22 October 2010. 9. Country visits offer an important opportunity for Special Rapporteurs to interact with various State officials and to meet representatives of religious or belief communities and other members of civil society. The Special Rapporteur is very grateful for the invitation by the Government of Paraguay to visit the country and he envisages conducting this mission in early 2011. Further country visits are currently being scheduled, and updated information about the Special Rapporteur’s visit requests and forthcoming missions is available on the website of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.3 10. Since follow-up is of central importance to the mandate, the Special Rapporteur has continued his predecessors’ follow-up procedure concerning country visit reports. On 5 November 2010, he sent follow-up letters concerning those missions undertaken by the previous mandate holder in 2008, i.e. to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, India and Turkmenistan. The Special Rapporteur requested to be provided with updated information on the consideration given to his predecessor’s recommendations, the steps taken to implement them, and any constraints which may prevent their implementation. The follow-up tables with the conclusions and recommendations in the related mission report, and information from the Government and relevant United Nations documents, including from the universal periodic review, special procedures and treaty bodies, are available online.4 1 2 3 4 4 See www.osce.org/item/48158.html. See www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=10344&LangID=E. See http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/chr/special/visits.htm. See http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/religion/visits.htm.