A/54/386 III. Follow-up of the Special Rapporteur’s initiatives concerning the identification of legislation and the preparation of studies on the subject of tolerance and non-discrimination based on religion and belief and the creation of a culture of tolerance A. Legislation and studies 98. In the area of legislation, as stated in his latest report submitted to the Commission on Human Rights (E/CN.4/1999/58), the Special Rapporteur wishes to compile a compendium of national enactments relating to freedom of religion and belief. Such a collection, regularly updated and available to all in a data bank at an Internet site, would be useful, on the one hand, to intergovernmental organizations (such as UNESCO and OSCE), States and non-governmental organizations engaged in activities with a direct or indirect link to freedom of religion or belief and, on the other hand and in particular, to the United Nations human rights bodies (Commission on Human Rights, Subcommission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, treaty bodies such as the Human Rights Committee, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination) and the special procedures, such as the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance relating to his activities to examine allegations, prepare in situ visits and their followup, research, studies and advice. 99. To date a total of 49 States have replied to the Special Rapporteur’s requests to provide the text of the constitutions in force or any other text equivalent to a constitution, as well as the text of legislation and regulations concerning religious freedom and public worship: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chile, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Malta, Mauritius, Namibia, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam and Yugoslavia. It would be highly desirable for all States to cooperate not only by sending the requested texts but also by updating the documents already transmitted. 100. As far as studies are concerned, the Special Rapporteur reiterates his recommendation that research should be conducted, within the framework of his mandate, to improve understanding of situations and complex and sensitive phenomena, on the following topics: (a) status of women with regard to religion and human rights; (b) proselytism, freedom of religion and poverty; and (c) sects, new religious movements and communities of religion and belief and human rights. B. Culture of tolerance 101. As explained in earlier reports, as regards discrimination and intolerance based on religion or belief, and in fact as regards all violations of human rights, prevention is the top priority and urgent need. Intervention, often ex post facto, in cases and situations constituting violations, cannot continue without attention to the underlying causes and attempts to avert them. This concern was shared by the Commission on Human Rights which, in its resolution 1994/18, encouraged the Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance to examine the contribution that education can make to the more effective promotion of religious tolerance. This interest was reiterated each year by the General Assembly. This year, in its resolution 1999/39 on the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, the Commission encouraged States to promote and encourage — in particular through education — understanding, tolerance and respect in areas relating to freedom of religion or belief. In its resolution 1999/82 entitled “Defamation of religions”, addressed in particular to the Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance, the Commission stressed “the importance of creating conditions to foster greater harmony and tolerance within and among societies and the importance of education in ensuring tolerance of and respect for religion and belief”. 102. Believing that school is an essential factor in the transmission of values geared to human rights and therefore in the emergence of a culture of tolerance and non-discrimination as regards religion or belief, the Special Rapporteur initiated an inquiry in 1994, through a questionnaire addressed to States, on the problems relating to freedom of religion and belief seen through curricula and textbooks at institutions of primary or basic 15