A/HRC/40/44 I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 37/38 entitled “Combating intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatization of, and discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against, persons based on religion or belief” in which the Council requested the High Commissioner to prepare and submit to it at its fortieth session a comprehensive follow-up report with elaborated conclusions based upon information provided by States on the efforts and measures taken for the implementation of the action plan outlined in paragraphs 7 and 8 of the resolution and views on potential follow-up measures for further improvement of the implementation of that plan. 2. The report is based on contributions received from 16 Member States in reply to a note verbale issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).1 In section II below, those contributions are summarized under headings that correspond to the points of the action plan in paragraphs 7 and 8 of resolution 37/38, bearing in mind that some of the information received from some States on their implementation of the action plan has been reflected in previous reports on the same topic, most recently the report of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly (A/73/153). 2 Section III provides some observations and views on potential follow-up measures for further improvement in the implementation of the action plan. II. Implementation of the action plan: information received from Member States A. Constitutional and legislative frameworks 3. OHCHR received comprehensive submissions from Bahrain, Belarus, Italy, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kuwait, Montenegro, Qatar, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in relation to constitutional and legislative frameworks present in those countries pertaining to combating intolerance, negative stereotyping, stigmatization, discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against persons, based on religion or belief. A number of countries noted important constitutional and legislative amendments relative to discrimination on the basis of religion or belief, which had recently been adopted. 4. While noting the significance of domestic constitutional and legislative frameworks, the High Commissioner wishes to stress the need for improved implementation of those frameworks to counter discrimination, intolerance and violence based on religion or belief. In tandem with the frameworks, practical actions taken by Governments and stakeholders reach victims of discrimination and religious communities that have been affected and serve to promote a culture of tolerance and peace domestically. B. Extremism and radicalization 5. Under the action plan, some States are addressing extremism and radicalization. The High Commissioner encourages them to increase awareness and understanding of those 1 2 2 The full texts of the submissions by Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Italy, Kuwait, Montenegro, Qatar, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Togo, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are available from https://adsdatabase.ohchr.org/SitePages/Anti-discrimination%20database.aspx. Not all points of the action plan are reflected in the present report, as relevant information was not received from Member States.