E/CN.4/2001/0063 page 42 promoted by the Government through various legislative initiatives and action programmes. Recommendations on all the problems and issues described above have been submitted to the authorities in Bangladesh in a spirit of cooperation and appreciation of the many difficulties associated with underdevelopment affecting the country. Clearly, the complex situation facing Bangladesh means that the country’s efforts to curb extremism and fight poverty should be encouraged and supported. 167. The Special Rapporteur intends to visit Argentina in the near future. 168. In addition, pursuant to its resolution S-5/1 of 19 October 2000, entitled “Grave and massive violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people by Israel”, the Commission on Human Rights decided at its fifth special session to request the Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance to carry out an immediate mission to the occupied Palestinian territories and to report his findings to the Commission at its fifty-seventh session. Pursuant to this resolution, the Special Rapporteur has made the necessary arrangements for such a visit and will report thereon to the Commission on Human Rights. A request for a visit was transmitted to the Israeli Government on 27 July 1996, but to date no reply has been forthcoming, despite reminders. 169. To date, requests for visits to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Indonesia and Nigeria have come to nothing. 170. The Special Rapporteur has followed up on his in situ visits through the procedure for collating observations and information received from States on measures either planned or taken to implement the recommendations made in the visit reports. Most of the States visited have cooperated with the follow-up programme: China (follow-up table and reply in 1996 (A/51/542)); Pakistan (follow-up table in 1996 (A/51/542), reply in 1996 (A/52/477/Add.1)); Greece (follow-up table in 1997 (A/52/477/Add.1), reply in 1997 (E/CN.4/1998/6)); the Sudan (follow-up table in 1997 (A/52/477/Add.1), reply in 1997 (A/52/477/Add.1)); and India (follow-up table in 1997 (A/52/477/Add.1) reply in 1998 (A/53/279)). The Special Rapporteur is still awaiting replies from the Islamic Republic of Iran (follow-up table in 1996 (A/51/542)), Germany (follow-up table in 1998 (E/CN.4/1999/58)), and Australia (follow-up table in 1998 (E/CN.4/1999/58)). Germany has advised the Special Rapporteur that a detailed reply will be sent in the very near future. On 17 February 2000, the Special Rapporteur initiated a follow-up procedure in respect of the United States of America and Viet Nam (follow-up table (A/55/280)). 171. The Special Rapporteur wishes to emphasize the importance of follow-up, which is the logical next step after a visit and ought to generate constructive dialogue and a joint search for solutions to any problem in the field of freedom of religion and belief. This procedure is a key instrument of cooperation, both for the States involved and for the United Nations human rights machinery as a whole. For example, in its concluding observations on the Islamic Republic of Iran of 2 June 2000 (CRC/C/15/Add.123), the Committee on the Rights of the Child endorsed the recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance following his visit to that country and recommended that the State party should implement them in their entirety (para. 36).