A/HRC/13/40/Add.4 V. Issues of concern related to the mandate 23. The Special Rapporteur would like to highlight some aspects of the status of freedom of religion or belief in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. In this chapter, she will focus on the following issues of concern related to her mandate: (a) the text and implementation of Decree No. 92/PM for the Management and Protection of Religious Activities; (b) allegations of forced conversions and evictions; (c) the isolation of religious minorities; (d) liberty of movement in the context of religious activities; (e) freedom of religion or belief of persons deprived of their liberty; and (f) some beliefs and customs of animists or ancestor worshippers. A. Decree No. 92/PM for the Management and Protection of Religious Activities 24. The Prime Ministerial Decree No. 92/PM for the Management and Protection of Religious Activities,6 which was passed in 2002, was at that time a step forward in advancing freedom of religion or belief in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. However, some provisions of the Decree are not in conformity with applicable international human rights standards and the Special Rapporteur would like to recommend that the Government review the relevant articles of the Decree. Most importantly, the Decree needs complementary policy directions that can be passed on to the provincial and district levels so that the Decree is not misinterpreted to the detriment of religious minorities. Local authorities admitted that there had been misunderstandings regarding the comprehension of the Decree in the past and they appreciated the idea of receiving a written policy from the central Government for better clarity of the spirit and scope of the Decree. 25. In this context, the Special Rapporteur would like to refer to the ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on 25 September 2009. The Special Rapporteur very much welcomes this recent initiative of the Government. She trusts that the ratification will contribute to advancing freedom of religion or belief in the country, especially since all States parties to the Covenant are obliged to submit regular reports to the Human Rights Committee which monitors implementation of the human rights obligations of States parties. The Covenant enshrines, inter alia, the principle of non-discrimination (articles 2 and 26), the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion (article 18), the right to freedom of opinion and expression (article 19), the prohibition of any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence (article 20), and the protection of the right of persons belonging to ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities to profess and practise their own religion (article 27). 26. In order to illustrate the problems of interpretation and possible adverse consequences for individual believers and religious communities in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Special Rapporteur analyzes in this subsection some provisions of the Decree and refers to the relevant international human rights standards. Her main concerns relate to (a) vaguely worded obligations and duties imposed on religious communities; (b) the implementation of the relevant registration provisions; and (c) the 6 GE.10-10542 For an overview, see paras. 13–17 above; a translation of the full text of the decree is available at http://app02.laopdr.gov.la/ePortal/lao/detail.action;jsessionid=9kYZKv4LChVLdGhWdrh5M7BfmJ1 K02RqkMbN0jlQ5JjfyHBpMzR5!32904345?id=11538. 9