A/HRC/6/17 page 4 I. INTRODUCTION 1. The present report is submitted to the Human Rights Council by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2005/80, General Assembly resolutions 60/158 and 60/251 and Human Rights Council decision 2006/102. It includes a reference to his activities from 1 January to 31 October 2007 and his views on the thematic issue of economic, social and cultural rights in the context of countering terrorism. The Special Rapporteur discusses the negative impact counter-terrorism measures can have on these specific rights and the role of promoting economic, social and cultural rights in preventing terrorism. 2. Addenda to the present report have been issued on communications in 2007 by the Special Rapporteur and the replies of Governments thereto and press releases issued under the mandate (A/HRC/4/26/Add.1); the report on the fact-finding mission to South Africa from 16 to 26 April 2007 (A/HRC/4/26/Add.2); the report on the fact-finding mission to the United States of America from 16 to 25 May 2007 (A/HRC/4/26/Add.3) and the report on the fact-finding mission to Israel, including visits to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, from 3 to 10 July 2007 (A/HRC/4/26/Add.4). II. ACTIVITIES 3. On the question of upcoming country visits, the Special Rapporteur hopes to conduct a mission to the Philippines and to Spain in the first half of 2008. There are outstanding visit requests to Algeria, Egypt, Malaysia, Pakistan and Tunisia. 4. A summary of the Special Rapporteur’s activities between 1 January and 31 July 2007 can be found in paragraphs 4 to 25 of his report to the General Assembly (A/62/263). 5. On 9 and 10 August 2007, the Special Rapporteur was represented at a workshop in Geneva, organized by the International Commission of Jurists and the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, on intelligence, accountability, counter-terrorism and human rights. 6. On 9 October, the Special Rapporteur participated in a panel discussion on the role of parliaments in striking a balance between national security, human security and individual freedoms and in averting the threat to democracy at a session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva. 7. On 11 and 12 October, the Special Rapporteur convened an expert group meeting at the Institute for International Relations in Clingendael, Netherlands, to discuss thematic issues relevant to his mandate. He also met with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and had meetings with the Netherlands intelligence community. 8. On 19 October, he attended a meeting of the Interights International Advisory Council in London and participated in a panel session on security, the rule of law, counter-terrorism and human rights.