A/HRC/34/50 62. As discussed above, the Special Rapporteur would like to prioritize the implementation of the right to freedom of religion or belief as the primary objective of his mandate. This approach is critical to addressing the very serious challenges facing this right globally, and dovetails the emerging implementation agenda of the Human Rights Council with regard to the compliance gap in realizing human rights protections more generally. 63. The wide range of misconceptions that are frequently used to justify violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief implies that more work needs to be done in clarifying further the normative content of the right and promoting literacy regarding what the right actually encompasses. While it is not always clear why States choose to comply with their human rights commitments without effective enforcement mechanisms in international law, studies suggest that norm clarification and simplification can contribute to what has been called the “practicalization” of human rights. The operational approach to human rights can help to contextualize a norm and make it more amenable to policy formulation and implementation that is more local and participatory in nature. Contextualization will, however, require the identification of practical guidelines that can ensure fidelity to the normative content and framework of the right to freedom of religion or belief. On issues where guidelines already exist, such as the Rabat Plan of Action or the Final Document of the International Consultative Conference on School Education in Relation to Freedom of Religion, Tolerance and Non-Discrimination (see E/CN.4/2002/73, annex, appendix), their application can be further encouraged by emerging national arrangements for engagement with international human rights mechanisms. 9 64. The Special Rapporteur notes that the cooperation of States will be vital to advance a successful agenda to protect and promote the right to freedom of religion or belief. Cooperation can take many forms. Opportunities to consult with States individually and regionally would be useful in identifying both challenges and best practices in an effort to encourage a “race to the top”. Consultations could also identify areas where capacity-building can play a transformative role. The cooperation of States will also be critical in helping to carry out the protective function of the mandate by ensuring that effective and responsive channels of communication exist whereby the Special Rapporteur may express his concern regarding alleged violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief, and country visits can be conducted in a spirit of constructive engagement and cooperation aimed at facilitating the realization of the right at the national level. 65. The special procedures of the Human Rights Council are most effective when they operate as a cohesive system. For the implementation approach/agenda to succeed, it is imperative that the mandate fully engage with other special procedures and parts of the United Nations human rights system, including processes related to the universal periodic review and reviews of States conducted by relevant treaty bodies, such as the Human Rights Committee. 66. The Special Rapporteur also believes that a systematic study and assessment of the impact of the mandate and other mechanisms that promote the right to freedom of religion or belief would make a useful contribution to understanding what approaches work best to achieve concrete results on the ground. To this end, and to the extent that 9 See Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, National Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow-up: A Practical Guide to Effective State Engagement with International Human Rights Mechanisms, Geneva, 2016. 19