E/CN.4/2001/66 page 2 Executive summary The Special Rapporteur, Sir Nigel Rodley, submits his eighth report to the Commission. Chapter I deals with aspects of the mandate and methods of work. Chapter II summarizes his activities in 2000. Chapter III contains a summary of communications sent by the Special Rapporteur and replies from Governments, from 15 December 1999 to 15 December 2000. The Special Rapporteur transmitted information to or received responses from 100 countries. He sent 164 urgent appeals on behalf of more than 470 identified individuals. Observations by the Special Rapporteur on the situation with respect to allegations of torture in several countries are included in the report. During the period under review the Special Rapporteur undertook two missions. The report on the visit to Azerbaijan (7-15 May) is contained in Addendum 1 to the present report and the report on the visit to Brazil (20 August-12 September) in Addendum 2. Regarding country visits, in October 2000 the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the United Nations in New York gave an initial positive reaction to the Special Rapporteur’s joint request with the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to visit that country, sent in June 2000. By letter dated 27 April 2000, the Special Rapporteur inquired whether the Russian Federation would consider the possibility of inviting him and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, to undertake a joint visit to that country with respect to the situation in the Republic of Chechnya. By letter dated 11 September 2000, the Government extended an invitation to the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, to visit Russia, including the North Caucasus region. By letter dated 27 September 2000, the Special Rapporteurs inquired about the possibility of undertaking a joint mission. The Special Rapporteur followed up on this issue in a meeting with the First Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Office at Geneva in a meeting on 30 November. At a meeting with the Political Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva on 30 November 2000, the Special Rapporteur sought to clarify the nature of the difficulties posed for the Government by his request (first made in 1995) for a fact-finding visit. The Political Counsellor confirmed the continuing applicability of his Government’s February 1999 invitation for a “friendly visit”. The Special Rapporteur’s requests to visit India, Indonesia, Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria have not resulted in invitations. No mandate-related issues have arisen during the year under review. The methods of work of the Special Rapporteur have been those followed previously, as approved most recently by the Commission in its resolution 2000/43, paragraph 25. In particular, he has continued to seek cooperation with holders of other Commission mandates to avoid duplication of activity in respect of country-specific initiatives. In view of the forthcoming World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, to be held in Durban (South Africa) from 31 August to 7 September 2001, the Special Rapporteur addresses the question of racism and related intolerance.

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