E/CN.4/2001/0063 page 3 Introduction 1. Since 1987, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights has been examining incidents and governmental action in all parts of the world inconsistent with the provisions of the 1981 Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief and has been recommending remedial measures for such situations. Since that date, the Special Rapporteur has submitted to the Commission 13 reports supplemented, in many cases, by addenda. Since 1994, reports have also been submitted to the General Assembly. The present report is submitted in accordance with Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/33 of 20 April 2000. I. REPORT ON COMMUNICATIONS SENT BY THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR AND REPLIES RECEIVED FROM STATES SINCE THE PUBLICATION OF THE REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AT ITS FIFTY-SIXTH SESSION 2. This report covers a total of 85 communications (including one urgent appeal to the Islamic Republic of Iran) sent to 52 States: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan (2), Belarus, Bhutan, Bulgaria (2), Burundi, Chad, China (5), Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt (3), Eritrea, Georgia (4), Greece, Hungary, India (3), Indonesia (5), Iran (Islamic Republic of), Israel, Italy (2), Jordan (2), Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Myanmar (3), Nauru, Nepal (2), Niger, Nigeria (2), Norway, Pakistan (3), Papua New Guinea, Philippines (2), Republic of Korea, Russian Federation (2), Saudi Arabia (2), South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Turkey (2), Turkmenistan (4), Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan (2), Viet Nam and Yemen. 3. It also covers the replies of 17 States which were either sent in the context of the preceding report and submitted to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-fifth (1999) and fifty-sixth (2000) sessions (one State: Sudan) or were sent in connection with the allegations contained in the present report (16 States: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, China, Egypt, Georgia (2), Greece, India (3), Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kuwait, Latvia, Malaysia, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia (2) and Turkey (2)). 4. The Special Rapporteur wishes to point out that while all States, without exception, have cases and/or situations of discrimination or intolerance in respect of religion or belief, they are of different types and degrees. If the resources at his disposal were strengthened, the Special Rapporteur could prepare a world report on freedom of religion or belief. Meanwhile, pending the achievement of that objective, the Special Rapporteur has tried to address problems of intolerance and discrimination that reflect the situation in as many States as possible. Afghanistan 5. Because of the climate of intolerance and religious discrimination in Afghanistan resulting from the Taliban policy, religious minorities, in particular the Sikhs, are beginning to