E/CN.4/1999/58 page 9 different ways with time and in various countries. The Special Rapporteur also believes that all States, without exception, should be visited according to a programme reflecting short-, medium- and long-term needs. 21. In order to promote the dialogue mentioned above, the Special Rapporteur initiated a visit follow-up procedure in 1996, providing States with an opportunity to send their comments and any information on action taken or envisaged to implement the recommendations made in the mission reports. Most States have cooperated in this procedure; follow-up tables were sent to the following countries, all of which replied, with the exception of Iran: China (follow-up table and reply: 1996, A/51/542); Pakistan (follow-up table: 1996, A/51/542; reply, A/52/477/Add.1); Iran (follow-up table: 1996, A/51/542; no reply); Greece (follow-up table: 1997, A/52/477/Add.1; reply: 1997, E/CN.4/1998/6); Sudan (follow-up table: 1997, A/52/477/Add.1; reply: 1997, A/52/477/Add.1); India (follow-up table: 1997, A/52/477/Add.1; reply: 1998, A/53/279). Follow-up tables were recently sent to Germany and Australia (see annex). The Special Rapporteur reiterates his request to Iran, a country which has always spoken in favour of cooperation, and hopes that it will do more to put its words into action. 22. The Special Rapporteur wishes to thank States for their cooperation, as well as NGOs, personalities and individuals for their valuable help during his in situ visits. IV. POSITION AS REGARDS COMMUNICATIONS SENT BY THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR AND REPLIES RECEIVED FROM STATES SINCE THE COMMISSION'S FIFTY-FOURTH SESSION 23. This section is concerned with communications sent since the fifty-fourth session of the Commission on Human Rights, the replies or absence of replies from the States concerned, and late replies. Before summarizing and analysing the communications and replies received, the Special Rapporteur would like to make the following comments, in the interest of clarification: (a) Since 1995, United Nations budgetary restrictions limiting reports to 32 pages have had a direct political impact on human rights mechanisms. The Special Rapporteur has been able to publish neither the text of his communications and the very enlightening replies received from States, nor the analyses of these replies. (b) The communications sent by the Special Rapporteur do not cover all incidents and governmental action taken in all parts of the world inconsistent with the 1981 Declaration. Only certain States are analysed below, but that does not mean that there are no problems in others. In addition, the length of a communication or the existence of several communications for a single State does not reflect the extent of intolerance and discrimination in that State. Similarly, the fact that a communication deals with one form of intolerance or discrimination does not imply the absence of other forms of violations in that State. (c) The communications concern cases or situations of intolerance and discrimination, but it is important to bear in mind that (i) cases may be isolated incidents of an exceptional nature which do not preclude the