E/CN.4/2005/61 page 2 Summary Since 1987, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief has been examining incidents and government measures in all parts of the world that are incompatible 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. In July 2004, Asma Jahangir was appointed Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief for a duration of three years. During the time that she holds the mandate, the activities of the Special Rapporteur will be shaped by the principles of prevention and protection, with an emphasis on the latter. In addition to communications and in situ visits, she would like to collect information, and analyse and identify best practices on a number of contentious issues as well as legislation pertaining to freedom of religion or belief. During the period under review, 69 communications related to alleged violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief were transmitted to States. A number of them had been sent by the previous Special Rapporteur and some, which address situations revealing multiple human rights alleged violations, were transmitted together with other special procedures. While 28 replies were received from Governments further to these communications, the Special Rapporteur is concerned that only a few States have provided a complete and detailed response. Concerning in situ visits, the Special Rapporteur considers that they are the only way to comprehensively and thoroughly apprehend the situation in a country with regard to freedom of religion. She therefore urges States to extend invitations to undertake such visits. The Governments of Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have already given their agreement for such a visit. Among the situations or cases involving alleged violations to freedom of religion or belief that have been addressed during this period, an important number also revealed violations of other forms of human rights. It is also noted that many of those situations leading to violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief are created by non-State actors, a fact that does not relieve the State of its positive obligations to ensure freedom of religion or belief to all persons finding themselves within its jurisdiction. Many cases raised the issue of conversion and, in particular, forced conversion, a practice that the Special Rapporteur considers unacceptable and one of the most serious forms of violation of the right to freedom of religion or belief. The Special Rapporteur is also concerned at the number of attacks and other restrictions on places of worship and other religious sites or shrines as well as at the limitations placed on religious publications. The Special Rapportuer also addresses more general questions of freedom of religion such as registration, in regard to which she refers expressly to the guidelines adopted by