A/57/274 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 15 July 2002 English Original: English/French Fifty-seventh session Item 111 (b) of the provisional agenda* Human rights questions: human rights questions including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms Elimination of all forms of religious intolerance Note by the Secretary-General** The Secretary-General has the honour to transmit to the members of the General Assembly the interim report prepared by Abdelfattah Amor, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on freedom of religion or belief, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 56/157 of 19 December 2001. Interim report prepared by Abdelfattah Amor, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on freedom of religion or belief Summary The Special Rapporteur is submitting the present report to the General Assembly pursuant to resolution 56/157 of 19 December 2001. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur deals in section I with the communication sent to States since the publication of the most recent report to the Commission on Human Rights and with the replies received. He also includes the late replies of States to communication sent before the publication of the most recent report. The Special Rapporteur then devotes section II to in situ visits and follow-up. In section III, he describes developments with respect to follow-up of the International Consultative Conference, held in Madrid in November 2001. * A/57/150. ** The present report was finalized in Geneva and sent to the General Assembly Servicing Branch before the deadline of 2 July 2002. Express transmission to Headquarters is the cause of the delay. 02-51389 (E) 110902 081002 *0251389*