E/CN.4/2001/0063
page 43
172. In addition to his “traditional” visits, the Special Rapporteur will in future visit the major
religious communities (following the pattern of his visit to the Holy See in September 1999; see
E/CN.4/2000/65) in order to establish a direct dialogue focusing on the 1981 Declaration and any
issues relating to freedom of religion and belief.
III. INTERNATIONAL CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE ON SCHOOL
EDUCATION IN RELATION TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND BELIEF,
TOLERANCE AND NON-DISCRIMINATION
173. The Special Rapporteur has continued his preparations for the international consultative
conference on school education in relation to freedom of religion and belief, tolerance and
non-discrimination, which is to be held in Madrid from 23 to 25 November 2001 in collaboration
with the Spanish Government. At its fifty-fifth session, the General Assembly noted this
initiative with satisfaction in its resolution 55/97 (for further details, see A/55/280,
paras. 121-132).
174. The Preparatory Committee for the Conference has been established. Besides the
Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance and the representative of Spain, it is composed of the
following individuals (listed in alphabetical order) who are attending in their capacity as experts
rather than as representatives of a particular State (except Spain), religion or NGO:
Mr. Taieb Baccouche, Tunisia, expert on the right to education, Director of the Arab
Institute of Human Rights;
Mr. Doudou Diène, Senegal, Director of the Division of intercultural dialogue and
pluralism for a culture of peace of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO);
Mr. Maurice Glèlè Ahanhanzo, Benin, Special Rapporteur of the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and related intolerance;
Mr. Iván C. Ibán, Spain, Professor at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and
Secretary of the European Consortium for Church and State Research;
Mr. Michael Roan, United States of America, Director of the Tandem Project and expert
in the field of freedom of religion and conviction;
Ms. Katarina Tomaševski, Croatia, Special Rapporteur of the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights on education;
Mr. Theo Van Boven, Netherlands, former Director of the United Nations Centre for
Human Rights and former member of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination.