A/52/477
English
Page 3
I.
INTRODUCTION
1.
At its forty-second session, the Commission on Human Rights decided, in
resolution 1986/20 of 10 March 1986, to appoint for one year a special
rapporteur to examine incidents and governmental action in all parts of the
world inconsistent with the provisions of the Declaration on the Elimination of
All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, and
to recommend remedial measures for such situations.
2.
In accordance with the terms of that resolution, the Special Rapporteur
submitted his first report to the Commission at its forty-third session.1 His
mandate was extended for one year by resolution 1987/15 of 4 March 1987, adopted
at the same session of the Commission.
3.
From 1988 onwards, the Special Rapporteur submitted yearly reports to the
Commission.2 In its resolutions 1988/55, 1990/27 and 1992/17, the Commission
twice decided to extend the Special Rapporteur's mandate for two years, and then
for three years until 1995.
4.
After the resignation of Mr. Angelo Vidal d'Almeida Ribeiro, the Chairman
of the Commission appointed Mr. Abdelfattah Amor as Special Rapporteur. The
latter submitted his reports3 to the Commission on Human Rights at its fiftieth,
fifty-first, fifty-second and fifty-third sessions. By its resolution 1995/23
of 24 February 1995, the Commission decided to extend the Special Rapporteur's
mandate for three years.
5.
Pursuant to General Assembly resolutions 49/188 of 23 December 1994 and
50/183 of 22 December 1995, the Special Rapporteur submitted interim reports to
the Assembly at its fiftieth and fifty-first sessions (A/50/440 and A/51/542).
6.
This report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 51/93 of
12 December 1996. The Special Rapporteur has examined in situ visits and their
follow-up, the development of a culture of tolerance and the status of
communications since the fifty-third session of the Commission on Human Rights.
II.
IN SITU VISITS AND THEIR FOLLOW-UP
7.
Since taking up his appointment, the Special Rapporteur has sought to
strengthen the in situ visit activities he carries out under his mandate.
8.
To recapitulate, since 1994 the Special Rapporteur has carried out the
following missions:
(a)
Visit to China in November 1994 on the initiative of China;4
(b)
Visit to Pakistan in June 1995 at the invitation of Pakistan;5
(c) Visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran in December 1995 on the
initiative of Iran;6
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