E/CN.4/2003/66 page 4 Introduction 1. Since 1987, the Commission on Human Rights Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief has considered incidents and governmental actions in all parts of the world inconsistent with the provisions of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief and has recommended remedial measures for such situations. Since then, a report has been submitted every year to the Commission on Human Rights and, since 1994, to the General Assembly. 2. In 2001, on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration, the rapporteur’s title was changed from “Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance” to “Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief”. The Special Rapporteur’s competence was thus no longer confined to expressions of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief, but extended to all issues relating to freedom of religion or belief, whether operational activities to deal with intolerance and discrimination or activities to prevent them. 3. The present report, submitted pursuant to Commission resolution 2002/40, includes, in the first place, an account of communications sent by the Special Rapporteur and the replies received from States since the publication of the report submitted to the Commission at its fifty-eighth session (E/CN.4/2002/73), as well as late replies. This account, which is the subject of chapter I, deals with 37 communications (including two urgent appeals) transmitted to 24 States, and the replies from those States. The Special Rapporteur then reports on his in situ visits and their follow-up. 4. The Special Rapporteur devotes chapter II to prevention activities in the post-11 September 2001 context and discusses the follow-up to the International Consultative Conference on School Education in relation to Freedom of Religion and Belief, Tolerance and Non-Discrimination (Madrid Conference) and the initiatives taken in the course of the year in the area of interreligious dialogue. Lastly, in chapter III, the Special Rapporteur analyses violations of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief and makes recommendations aimed at correcting what is a very alarming situation, with a view to prevention in particular. I. OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES 5. Since the beginning of his mandate, the Special Rapporteur has submitted 38 reports: 16 general reports to the Commission on Human Rights, 8 interim reports to the General Assembly and 14 reports on visits, submitted to the Commission and the General Assembly. A number of studies have also been presented, including those prepared for the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (Durban Conference) and for the Madrid Conference. The Special Rapporteur also submitted to the Commission, at its fifty-eighth session, a study on the freedom of religion or belief and the status of women in the light of religion and traditions (E/CN.4/2002/73/Add.2). 6. A full report on, and discussion of, the communications sent and replies received since the establishment of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate was submitted to the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session (A/56/253).