A/HRC/7/14 Page 9 same meeting, a joint declaration on promoting diversity in the broadcast media, signed by the Special Rapporteur, along with the Organization for Security and Development (OSCE) Representative on Freedom of the Media, the Organization of American States (OAS) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, was drafted. (The joint declaration appears as an annex to this report.) D. Country visits 18. From 22 to 28 April 2007, the Special Rapporteur carried out an official visit to Azerbaijan, at the Government’s invitation, where he met a broad range of social and political actors to evaluate the current status of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. The Special Rapporteur underlined his impression that the country was endeavouring to establish and consolidate its democratic structures, a message that was conveyed by many of his counterparts. In his preliminary conclusions, he called upon the Government and civil society to take a number of steps to fully implement the right to freedom of expression, including the decriminalization of defamation offenses, ensuring the safety of media professionals and, more broadly, guaranteeing the independence of the media. 19. From 14 to 18 May 2007, the Special Rapporteur visited Ukraine at the invitation of the Government in order to assess the implementation of the right to freedom of opinion and expression in the country. In the conclusions of his visit, the Special Rapporteur highlighted the progresses achieved by the country after it gained independence from the Soviet Union. In particular, he underlined the important improvements that have taken place in the country since 2004. He also called upon the Government of Ukraine to further strengthen the independence, professionalism and diversity of the media as well as to tackle the issue of incitement to racial, ethnic and religious hatred. 20. From 26 to 30 November 2007, the Special Rapporteur carried out an official visit to Honduras at the invitation of the Government in order to examine issues of relevance to his mandate. In his conclusions on the visit, he pointed to the need for strengthening protection and safety measures for journalists and media professionals as well as the need to combat impunity for the perpetrators of crimes against the media. He also called for a rapid adaptation of national legislation on freedom of expression to international standards, particularly concerning the decriminalization of defamation offenses.