A/62/280 have invited her to carry out a country visit. She would like to reiterate that she has experienced a very satisfactory level of cooperation from the Governments of all the countries she has visited. Pending full reports, her country visits to Tajikistan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are briefly described below. 2. Visit to Tajikistan 19. The Special Rapporteur visited Tajikistan from 26 February to 1 March 2007. An estimated 95 per cent of the population consider themselves Muslims, mainly following Sunni Islam, while Shia Ismaili Islam is predominant in the autonomous province of Gorno-Badakhshan. Religious minorities in Tajikistan include Baha’is, Baptists, members of the Grace Sunmin Church, Hare Krishnas, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jews, Lutherans, Roman Catholics, Russian Orthodox Christians, Seventh-Day Adventists and Zoroastrians. 20. The Government of Tajikistan by and large respects freedom of religion or belief; however, the Special Rapporteur notes that it faces certain challenges. Some concerns were raised by Muslims with regard to the legal requirements for the construction of mosques, the establishment of religious schools and the undertaking of pilgrimages. Furthermore, several members of religious minorities have been murdered in past years and there have been violent attacks on their places of worship. Some local authorities have allegedly tried to use the registration process to hinder the activities of religious minorities. Many converts face problems in everyday life, predominantly on a social level. 21. There are currently plans to have the 1994 Religion and Religious Organizations Act replaced by a draft law “On freedom of conscience and religious associations”. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur stresses that registration should not be a precondition for practicing one’s religion and any registration procedure should not depend on extensive formal or substantive requirements. The 2006 draft law provides that actions directed at converting believers of one confession to another are prohibited. However, missionary activity is accepted as a legitimate expression of religion or belief and therefore enjoys the protection afforded by article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other relevant international instruments. A virtual ban on foreign leaders of religious associations, as envisaged in the draft law, would especially adversely affect small religious minority groups. 22. With regard to places of worship, the Special Rapporteur emphasizes that the authorities need to take adequately into account the specific character of these places and their particular significance for believers. She is concerned about the vulnerable situation of women in Tajik society, which is also partly influenced by traditional or perceived religious factors. Furthermore, she encourages the Government to recognize the right of conscientious objectors to be exempted from military service. Finally, the Special Rapporteur underlines that States must ensure that any measure taken to combat acts of terrorism complies with their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law. An independent, neutral and impartial judiciary as well as prompt access to a lawyer are vital components in safeguarding the freedom of religion or belief of all individuals and religious communities, as well as other rights. 8 07-48490