E/CN.4/2004/63
page 5
Table 1
In situ visits
State visited
China
Pakistan
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Greece
Sudan
India
Australia
Germany
United States of America
Viet Nam
Turkey
Bangladesh
Argentina
Algeria
Georgia
Romania
Date of visit
November 1994
June 1995
December 1995
June 1996
September 1996
December 1996
February-March 1997
September 1997
January-February 1998
October 1998
December 1999
May 2000
May 2001
September 2002
August-September 2003
September 2003
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E/CN.4/1995/91
E/CN.4/1996/95/Add.1
E/CN.4/1996/95/Add.2
A/51/542/Add.1
A/51/542/Add.2
E/CN.4/1997/91/Add.1
E/CN.4/1998/6/Add.1
E/CN.4/1998/6/Add.2
E/CN.4/1999/58/Add.1
E/CN.4/1999/58/Add.2
A/55/280/Add.1
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E/CN.4/2002/73/Add.1
E/CN.4/2003/66/Add.1
E/CN.4/2004/63/Add.1
E/CN.4/2004/63/Add.2
6.
He wishes to point out that these requests in no way suggest preconceived views or any
negative judgement regarding the Governments concerned. Rather, the aim is to use such visits
to establish or to pursue a dialogue with the authorities and with all the parties concerned,
particularly with NGOs and all individuals having a particular interest in the mandate.
Moreover, regardless of whether the visit is made at the request of the General Assembly or the
Commission, like the one to the Sudan, at the initiative of the country concerned, like those to
China and Algeria, or at his own initiative, the Special Rapporteur has always tried to maintain a
balance both in the regions visited and in the religions involved. He therefore visited, for
example, Turkey as well as Greece, and Pakistan as well as India.
7.
In accordance with 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, in a special
session, decided inter alia to request the Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance to carry out
an immediate mission to the occupied Palestinian territories and to report on his findings. In
response to a letter dated 18 December 2000 from the Special Rapporteur to the Permanent
Mission of Israel to the United Nations informing it of his intention to visit the occupied
territories and seeking the cooperation of the Israeli authorities for access to the territory, the
latter informed him, by letter of 2 January 2001, that Israel would “not cooperate in the
implementation of (…) this resolution”.