A/64/159 4. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur provides a brief overview of general patterns and issues of concern for her mandate (chapter II). She discusses the situation of persons in vulnerable situations as identified in General Assembly resolution 63/181 (chapter III). Furthermore, the Special Rapporteur gives an overview of the activities that have been carried out since her previous report to the General Assembly (chapter IV). She concludes by setting out a number of conclusions and recommendations, especially with regard to the situation of persons in vulnerable situations (chapter V). II. Overview of patterns and issues of concern for the mandate A. General patterns arising out of the mandate 5. The Special Rapporteur has identified various patterns of violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief, as well as Government initiatives that have constructively addressed intolerant religious practices. There are a number of common themes the Special Rapporteur would like to briefly highlight, based on country visits carried out by the mandate holders, allegation letters and urgent appeals sent to Governments, further information received from civil society organizations and continuous research by the mandate. 6. An evident general pattern adversely affects members of religious minorities who suffer from discrimination through policies, legislation and State practices, sometimes even leading to arbitrary detention and extrajudicial killings of individual members. Their vulnerable situation is aggravated when Governments target religious minorities by registering names and scrutinizing these individuals. In addition, violent acts or threats thereof are often perpetrated by non-State actors, either from different religious communities or from within the same community, without any adequate response from the State authorities. 7. Dissenting or simply dispassionate believers as well as non-believers also face inter-religious and intra-religious problems or are being marginalized. The Special Rapporteur would like to reiterate that theistic, atheistic and non-theistic believers, as well as those who do not profess any religion, have an important role to play in building pluralistic societies of the twenty-first century. She would like to highlight as a good practice the compilation of a reference guidebook to religious diversity which is designed to provide police members with information about the different religions and beliefs in a given country and explains in an accurate and unbiased manner the diversity and specificities of the different religious communities. 8. A number of vulnerable groups can be identified all over the world (see paragraphs 18-34 below). For example, many children have been indoctrinated with religious intolerance and are used by certain non-State actors to perpetrate violence on others or themselves in the name of religion. The Special Rapporteur is concerned at reports of preaching of religious hatred and the exploitation of children in a systematic and organized fashion for the ends of militant groups, which the State authorities seem to have overlooked for a long period of time. It is of utmost importance that States and educational institutions find more creative strategies to ensure that freedom of religion or belief is fully extended to all children and to 09-40869 5