E/CN.4/1993/62 page 116 on the thematic mandates of the Commission on Human Rights. The Special Rapporteur is also pleased to note the sustained interest and trust of the States members of the Commission in his mandate. 72. In the course of the present reporting period, the Special Rapporteur has continued to receive allegations concerning the violation of the rights and freedoms set out in the Declaration and has continued to gather information about the factors hampering its implementation. In keeping with the constructive dialogue he has established with Governments over the years, he has continued to seek clarifications on specific incidents or cases which concern them and considers the spirit of cooperation shown by the Governments in the implementation of his mandate to be very encouraging. He was also gratified by the interest and openness shown by a number of Governments concerning issues within his frame of reference and their willingness to find solutions to them. 73. The Special Rapporteur was also very pleased and grateful to note the continued cooperation extended to him by non-governmental organizations during the period under review. The detailed information they have provided has been of considerable assistance to him in carrying out his mandate. The information gathered by the Special Rapporteur attests to the continued interest on the part of the international community in problems of religious intolerance and discrimination and the genuine efforts of many Governments to restrict them. As the Special Rapporteur pointed out in his report to the Commission on Human Rights at its forty-seventh session, "My role is not to make accusations or value judgements, but to help arrive at a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding (religious) intolerance and discrimination ... to mobilize international public opinion and to establish a dialogue with the Governments and all other parties concerned." 74. During the period covered by this report, the Special Rapporteur has continued to receive allegations of infringements in most regions of the world of the rights and freedoms contained in the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief. Practices of religious intolerance have continued to occur in countries with varying degrees of development and different political and social systems and have not been confined to a particular faith. The majority of allegations point to the violation of the right to have the religion or belief of one’s choice, the right to change one’s religion or belief, the right to manifest and practise one’s religion in public and in private, the right to celebrate holidays and ceremonies in accordance with the precepts of one’s religion or belief and the right not to be subjected to discrimination on these grounds by any State, institution or group of persons. 75. As the Special Rapporteur has already indicated in his previous reports, the infringement of the rights mentioned above jeopardizes the enjoyment of other fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined both in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as well as other human rights instruments. During the period under review, violations of the Declaration’s provisions have had a negative bearing on the right to life, the right to physical integrity and to liberty and security of the person, the right to freedom of expression, the right not to be subjected to torture and other

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