E/CN.4/1999/15 page 4 Introduction 1. This report has been submitted in accordance with resolution 1998/26 (IV) adopted by the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-fourth session. It should be read in conjunction with the report submitted by the Special Rapporteur to the fifty-third session of the General Assembly (A/53/269). 2. In this report, which comprises six chapters, the Special Rapporteur calls attention to measures taken by Governments in order to meet the objectives of the mandate (chap. II), manifestations of racism and racial discrimination in 1998 (chap. III), the allegations he has received (chap. IV) and the follow-up to the field visits which he has undertaken (chap. V). I. ACTIVITIES OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR A. 1. Field visits Mission to South Africa 3. The Special Rapporteur visited South Africa from 24 February to 5 March 1998. His findings are contained in document E/CN.4/1999/15/Add.1. 2. Mission to Australia 4. The mission to Australia scheduled for 3 to 19 May 1998 had been organized with the kind cooperation of the Australian Government, but for reasons outside the control of the Special Rapporteur and the Government it did not take place. The Special Rapporteur has nevertheless been briefed by the Australian authorities on some recent developments concerning the eradication of xenophobia and the improvement of race relations that have resulted from joint efforts by the authorities and the public. A brief outline of these developments follows. 5. The recent appearance and rise of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party in Australia have been the cause of concern that racism and xenophobia were gaining ground in Australian society, historically acknowledged as one of the more racially tolerant societies world-wide. But, information provided by the Government of Australia reveals that a real effort has been carried out to stem this worrying trend at the political and social levels through a nation-wide anti-racism programme called “Living in harmony”. This programme is aimed at educating the Australian population on racial sensitivity, particularly towards Aboriginal and migrant populations. 6. Despite running 139 candidates for the House of Representatives, the One Nation Party did not retain a single seat in the recent elections, although a considerable number of the Australian electorate did cast votes in favour of this party. Most notably, Pauline Hanson herself, the party leader and founder, lost her seat in the Federal Parliament. 7. The returning Prime Minister, John Howard, has pledged to strive towards better multicultural relations and reconciliation with the Aborigines, and has established two positions in his new cabinet to address these issues. In