A/63/339
25. The Special Rapporteur also noted that the Durban Review Conference was a
unique opportunity for Member States to express renewed commitment and
unrelenting engagement to fight the scourge of racism and to implement the Durban
Declaration and Programme of Action.
B.
Reports submitted to the Human Rights Council at its sixth and
seventh sessions
26. The Special Rapporteur wishes to inform the General Assembly of the reports
submitted by his predecessor to the Human Rights Council at its sixth and seventh
sessions.
27. At the sixth session of the Human Rights Council, pursuant to resolution 4/9,
the former mandate holder submitted a thematic report on the manifestations of
defamation of religions and in particular on the serious implications of
Islamophobia on the enjoyment of all rights (A/HRC/6/6). In that report, the former
mandate holder analysed the phenomenon of religious discrimination, including
Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, Christianophobia and other forms of religious
discrimination.
28. At the seventh session of the Human Rights Council, the former mandate
holder submitted his annual report on contemporary forms of racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance (A/HRC/7/19). He also
submitted a summary of communications transmitted to Governments
(A/HRC/7/19/Add.1) and country reports following his visits to Lithuania
(A/HRC/7/19/Add.4), Latvia (A/HRC/7/19/Add.3), Estonia (A/HRC/7/19/Add.2)
and the Dominican Republic (A/HRC/7/19/Add.5-A/HRC/7/23/Add.3) and a
preliminary note on his visit to Mauritania (A/HRC/7/19/Add.6).
C.
Field missions
29. The Special Rapporteur wishes to inform the General Assembly of the visits
carried out by his predecessor since the submission of his last report (A/62/306) to
the Assembly on 24 August 2007.
30. The Special Rapporteur wishes to inform the Assembly that, since taking up
his functions on 1 August 2008, he has requested visits to a number of Member
States. He hopes that they will respond positively to those requests.
31. The Special Rapporteur notes that the Assembly, in its resolution 62/220, had
reiterated its call for all Member States “to cooperate fully with the Special
Rapporteur, and … to consider responding favourably to his requests for visits so as
to enable him to fulfil his mandate fully and effectively”. He recalls that while
reviewing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur in its resolution 7/34, the Human
Rights Council urged all Governments to seriously consider responding promptly
and favourably to the requests of the Special Rapporteur to visit their countries,
including follow-up visits.
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