A/52/477 English Page 5 14. The Iranian authorities have not sent any replies since 1996 but have always cooperated with the Special Rapporteur, specifically in several rounds of consultations in Geneva. During the most recent consultations, in August 1997, and following the presidential elections in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Special Rapporteur has had the feeling that cooperation with that country on the follow-up procedure could soon get under way. 15. The Special Rapporteur has also received cooperation from Greece and India and awaits their replies to his follow-up letter. 16. The Special Rapporteur wishes to thank all States concerned for their favourable reactions to the follow-up procedure begun in 1996, and particularly those which have responded formally. 17. Lastly, the Special Rapporteur calls on all States to accede, pursuant to the resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly to requests for visits and for follow-up to those visits. III. DEVELOPMENT OF A CULTURE OF TOLERANCE 18. Education can make a decisive contribution to the internalization of values based on human rights and to the emergence among both individuals and groups of tolerant and non-discriminatory attitudes and behaviour. It thus contributes to the dissemination of a culture of human rights. 19. As an essential component of the educational system, schools can provide a fertile and vital environment for lasting progress in the promotion of tolerance and non-discrimination in matters of religion or belief. 20. The Special Rapporteur therefore decided to conduct a survey in 1994 by means of a questionnaire addressed to States on problems relating to freedom of religion and belief from the standpoint of the curricula and textbooks of primary or basic and secondary educational institutions.8 The results of the survey would make it possible to draw up an international school strategy to combat all forms of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief, which could centre on the elaboration and implementation of a common minimum programme of tolerance and non-discrimination. 21. The Special Rapporteur received replies from the following 79 States: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Guatemala, the Holy See, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mali, the Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nauru, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, the Philippines, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Saint Lucia, San Marino, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yugoslavia and Zambia. /...