This is the fourth report of the Special Rapporteur to the General Assembly. It addresses the issues relating to his mandate on which he has focused most closely since his report to the Human Rights Council at its eighth session. It gives an account of activities carried out since then and of activities to be carried out in the near future, including country visits, communications with States and participation at international meetings. The present report contains a summary of the main conclusions and recommendations of the international seminar on “The protection of human rights under states of emergency, particularly the right to a fair trial”, which was held in Geneva in December 2007. In the light of the discussions among the experts, international law and jurisprudence and previous studies of the Special Rapporteur, section IV of the report recalls the important role of judges in protecting human rights during states of emergency and requests States not to interfere with the operation of the justice system, including in times of national emergency.