A/57/274 III. In situ visits and their follow-up 62. Since assuming his duties in 1993, the current Special Rapporteur has visited the following countries: China (1994); Pakistan (1995); Islamic Republic of Iran (1995); Greece (1996); Sudan (1996); India (1996); Australia (1997); Germany (1997); United States of America (1998); Viet Nam (1998); Turkey (1999); Holy See (1999); Bangladesh (2000); Argentina (2001). 63. The visit to the Vatican in 1999 initiated a new form of visit, supplementing the “traditional” visits made thus far, whose purpose is to establish a direct dialogue with the principal communities of religion and belief. 64. The choice of the aforementioned countries by the Special Rapporteur was determined by his wish to study in detail various problems of religious intolerance drawn to his attention, while maintaining an appropriate geographical balance. 65. On the question of requests for visits, the Special Rapporteur announced at the most recent session of the Commission on Human Rights that Algeria, by letter of 28 January 2002, had agreed to a visit in situ. The Special Rapporteur was due to carry out this mission before the end of 2002. 66. By letter of 15 May 2002, addressed to the Permanent Representative of Georgia, the Special Rapporteur also expressed the desire to visit Georgia to obtain information from the authorities and other parties concerned about various matters falling within his mandate. 67. Requests for visits addressed to Indonesia (1996), Israel (1997), the Russian Federation (1998), the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (1999) and Nigeria (2000) have still not brought results. Reiterating his desire for cooperation and dialogue, the Special Rapporteur draws attention to resolution 2002/40 by which the Commission on Human Rights calls upon all Governments to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur, to respond favourably to his requests to visit their countries and to give serious consideration to inviting him to visit so as to enable him to fulfil his mandate even more effectively. As regards Israel, the Special Rapporteur has still not received a reply to his request to visit made in the context of his mandate. As to the reminders which followed Israel’s refusal to cooperate in the operational 12 aspect of Commission resolution S-5/1, they also have produced no result. The Special Rapporteur is of the view that this refusal prejudices the credibility of the human rights protection system, and he calls on Israel to improve its cooperation for the sake of freedom of religion or belief. 68. The Special Rapporteur continued the mission follow-up procedure, initiated in 1996, with a view to receiving the comments of States and their reports on steps taken or contemplated by them in order to implement the recommendations formulated at the end of visits. In this respect, the Special Rapporteur still awaits the responses of Australia, Germany, the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has not replied since 1997, despite several reminders. 69. The Special Rapporteur calls on all the States concerned to cooperate fully in the follow-up procedure, which is a natural prolongation of any visit and constitutes an essential means of cooperation, benefiting States, non-governmental organizations and individuals concerned by the mandate and also the United Nations human rights machinery as a whole. 70. The Special Rapporteur draws attention to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/84 on human rights and thematic procedures, which encourages all Governments to consider inviting thematic special rapporteurs, representatives, experts and working groups to visit their countries and to make follow-up visits with a view to the effective implementation of recommendations by the thematic procedures concerned. IV. Follow-up to the International Consultative Conference on School Education in relation with Freedom of Religion and Belief, Tolerance and Non-discrimination 71. On 25 November 2001, the International Consultative Conference on School Education in relation with Freedom of Religion and Belief, Tolerance and Non-discrimination convened in Madrid on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief and adopted by consensus in plenary session its