University of Minnesota




World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, Programme of Action, Agenda item 9, adopted on September 8, 2001 in Durban South Africa, U.N. Doc. A/CONF.189/5 (2001).


 

* This text has been put together by the secretariat on the basis of its notes. It is now being submitted to the principal officers of the Conference for their review and will subsequently go through the process of formal editing.

I. SOURCES, CAUSES, FORMS AND CONTEMPORARY MANIFESTATIONS OF RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED INTOLERANCE

 

Recognizing the urgent need to translate the objectives of the Declaration into a practical and workable Programme of Action, the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance:

 

1.      Urges States in their national efforts, and in cooperation with other States, regional and international organizations and financial institutions, to promote the use of public and private investment in consultation with the affected communities in order to eradicate poverty, particularly in those areas in which victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance predominantly live;

 

2.  Urges States to take all necessary and appropriate measures to end enslavement and contemporary forms of slavery-like practices to initiate constructive dialogue among States and implement measures with a view to correcting the problem and the damage resulting from them;

 

 

II. VICTIMS OF RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED INTOLERANCE

 

Victims: General

 

3.  Urges States to work nationally and in cooperation with other States and relevant regional and international organizations and programmes to strengthen national mechanisms to promote and protect the human rights of victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance who are infected, or presumably infected, with pandemic diseases such as HIV/AIDS and to take concrete measures, including preventive action, appropriate access to medication and treatment, programmes of education, training and mass media dissemination to eliminate violence, stigmatization, discrimination, unemployment and other negative consequences arising from these pandemics;

 

Africans and people of African descent

 

4.      Urges States to facilitate the participation of people of African descent in all political, economic, social and cultural aspects of society and in the advancement and economic development of their countries, and to promote a greater knowledge of and respect for their heritage and culture;

 

5. Requests States, supported by international cooperation as appropriate, to consider positively concentrating additional investments in health‑care systems, education, public health, electricity, drinking water and environmental control, as well as other affirmative or positive action initiatives in communities of primarily African descent;

 

6. Calls upon the United Nations, international financial and development institutions and other appropriate international mechanisms to develop capacity-building programmes intended for Africans and people of African descent in the Americas and around the world;

 

7. Requests the Commission on Human Rights to consider establishing a working group or other mechanism of the United Nations to study the problems of racial discrimination faced by people of African descent living in the African diaspora and make proposals for the elimination of racial discrimination against people of African descent;

 

8. Urges financial and development institutions and the operational programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations, in accordance with their regular budgets and the procedures of their governing bodies, to: 

(a) Assign particular priority, and allocate sufficient funding, within their areas of competence and budgets, to improving the situation of Africans and people of African descent, while devoting special attention to the needs of these populations in developing countries, inter alia through the preparation of specific programmes of action;

(b) Carry out special projects, through appropriate channels and in collaboration with Africans and people of African descent, to support their initiatives at the community level and to facilitate the exchange of information and technical know‑how between these populations and experts in these areas;

(c) Develop programmes intended for people of African descent allocating additional investments to health systems, education, housing, electricity, drinking water and environmental control measures and promoting equal opportunities in employment, as well as other affirmative or positive action initiatives;

 

9. Requests States to increase public actions and policies in favour of women and young males of African descent, given that racism affects them more deeply, placing them in a more marginalized and disadvantaged situation;

 

10. Urges States to ensure access to education and promote access to new technologies that would offer Africans and people of African descent, in particular women and children, adequate resources for education, technological development and long-distance learning in local communities, and further urges States to promote the full and accurate inclusion of the history and contribution of Africans and people of African descent in the education curriculum;

 

11. Encourages States to identify factors which prevent equal access to, and the equitable presence of, people of African descent at all levels of the public sector, including the public service, and in particular the administration of justice, and to take appropriate measures to remove the obstacles identified and also to encourage the private sector to promote equal access to, and the equitable presence of, people of African descent at all levels within their organizations;

 

12. Calls upon States to take specific steps to ensure full and effective access to the justice system for all individuals, particularly  those of African descent;

 

13. Urges States, in accordance with international human rights standards and their respective domestic legal framework, to resolve problems of ownership of ancestral lands inhabited for generations by people of African descent and to promote the productive utilization of land and the comprehensive development of these communities, respecting their culture and their specific forms of decision-making;

 

14. Urges States to recognize the particularly severe problems of religious prejudice and intolerance that many people of African descent experience and to implement policies and measures that are designed to prevent and eliminate all such discrimination on the basis of religion and belief, which, when combined with certain other forms of discrimination, constitutes a form of multiple discrimination;


Indigenous peoples

 

15.  Urges States:

(a) To adopt or continue to apply, in concert with them, constitutional, administrative, legislative, judicial and all necessary measures to promote, protect and ensure the enjoyment by indigenous peoples of their rights, as well as to guarantee them the exercise of their human rights and fundamental freedoms on the basis of equality, non‑discrimination and full and free participation in all areas of society, in particular in matters affecting or concerning their interests;

(b) To promote better knowledge of and respect for indigenous cultures and heritage; and welcomes measures already taken by States in these respects;

 

16.  Urges States to work with indigenous peoples to stimulate their access to economic activities and increase their level of employment, where appropriate, through the establishment, acquisition or expansion by indigenous peoples of enterprises, and the implementation of measures such as training, the provision of technical assistance and credit facilities;

 

17. Urges States to work with indigenous peoples to establish and implement programmes that provide access to training and services that could benefit the development of their communities;

 

18. Requests States to adopt public policies and give impetus to programmes on behalf of and in concert with indigenous women and girls, with a view to promoting their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights; to putting an end to their situation of disadvantage for reasons of gender and ethnicity; to dealing with urgent problems affecting them in regard to education, their physical and mental health, economic life and in the matter of violence against them, including domestic violence; and to eliminating the situation of aggravated discrimination suffered by indigenous women and girls on multiple grounds of racism and gender discrimination;

 

19. Recommends that States examine, in conformity with relevant international human rights instruments, norms and standards, their Constitutions, laws, legal systems and policies in order to identify and eradicate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance towards indigenous peoples and individuals, whether implicit, explicit or inherent;

 

20. Calls upon concerned States to honour and respect their treaties and agreements with indigenous peoples and to accord them due recognition and observance;

 

21. Calls upon States to give full and appropriate consideration to the recommendations produced by indigenous peoples in their own forums on the World Conference; 

 

22. Requests States:

(a) To develop and, where they already exist, support institutional mechanisms to promote the accomplishment of the objectives and measures relating to indigenous peoples agreed in this Plan of Action;

(b) To promote in concert with indigenous organizations, local authorities and non‑governmental organizations, actions aimed at overcoming racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance against indigenous peoples and to make regular assessments of the progress achieved in this regard;

(c) To promote understanding among society at large of the importance of special measures to overcome disadvantages faced by indigenous peoples;

(d) To consult indigenous representatives in the process of decision‑making concerning policies and measures that directly affect them; 

23. Calls upon States to recognize the particular challenges faced by indigenous peoples and individuals living in urban environments and urges States to implement effective strategies to combat the racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance they encounter, paying particular attention to opportunities for their continued practice of their traditional, cultural, linguistic and spiritual ways of life;

 

Migrants

 

24. Requests all States to combat manifestations of a generalized rejection of migrants and actively to discourage all racist demonstrations and acts that generate xenophobic behaviour and negative sentiments towards, or rejection of, migrants;

 

25. Invites international and national non‑governmental organizations to include monitoring and protection of the human rights of migrants in their programmes and activities and to sensitize Governments and increase public awareness in all States about the need to prevent racist acts and manifestations of discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance against migrants;

 

26. Requests States to promote and protect fully and effectively the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants, in conformity with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and their obligations under international human rights instruments, regardless of the migrants’ immigration status;

 

27. Encourages States to promote education on the human rights of migrants and to engage in information campaigns to ensure that the public receives accurate information regarding migrants and migration issues, including the positive contribution of migrants to the host society and the vulnerability of migrants, particularly those who are in an irregular situation;

 

28. Calls upon States to facilitate family reunification, in an expeditious and effective manner which has a positive effect on integration of migrants, with due regard for the desire of many family members to have an independent status;

 

29. Urges States to take concrete measures that would eliminate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in the workplace, against all workers, including migrants, and ensure the full equality of all before the law, including labour law, and further urges States to eliminate barriers, where appropriate, to: participating in vocational training, collective bargaining, employment, contracts and trade union activity; accessing judicial and administrative tribunals dealing with grievances; seeking employment in different parts of their country of residence; and working in safe and healthy conditions;

 

30. Urges States:

(a)    To develop and implement policies and action plans, and to reinforce and implement preventive measures, in order to foster greater harmony and tolerance between migrants and host societies, with the aim of eliminating manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, including acts of violence, perpetrated in many societies by individuals or groups ;

(b)   To review and revise, where necessary, their immigration laws, policies and practices so that they are free of racial discrimination and compatible with States’ obligations under international human rights instruments;

(c) To implement specific measures involving the host community and migrants in order to encourage respect for cultural diversity, to promote the fair treatment of migrants and to develop programmes, where appropriate, that facilitate their integration into social, cultural, political and economic life; 

(d) To ensure that migrants, regardless of their immigration status, detained by public authorities, are treated with humanity and in a fair manner, and receive effective legal protection and, where appropriate, the assistance of a competent interpreter in accordance with the relevant norms of international law and human rights standards, particularly during interrogation;

(e) To ensure that the police and immigration authorities treat migrants in a dignified and non‑discriminatory manner, in accordance with international standards, through, inter alia, organizing specialized training courses for administrators, police officers, immigration officials and other interested groups;

(f) To consider the question of, with a view to promoting, the recognition of the educational, professional and technical credentials of migrants, with a view to maximizing their contribution to their new States of residence;

(g) To take all possible measures to promote the full enjoyment by all migrants of all human rights, including those related to fair wages and equal remuneration for work of equal value without distinction of any kind, and with the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widow-hood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control, social security, including social insurance, access to education, health care, social services and respect for their cultural identity;

(h) To consider adopting and implementing immigration policies and programmes that would enable immigrants, in particular women and children who are victims of spousal or domestic violence, to free themselves from abusive relationships;

 

31. Urges States, in the light of the increased proportion of women migrants, to place special focus on gender issues, including gender discrimination, particularly when the multiple barriers faced by migrant women intersect; detailed research should be undertaken not only in respect of human rights violations perpetrated against women migrants, but also on the contribution they make to the economies of their countries of origin and destination/host countries, and the findings should be included in reports to treaty bodies;

 

32. Urges States to recognize the same economic opportunities and responsibilities to documented long‑term migrants as to other members of society;

 

33. Recommends that host countries for migrants consider the provision of adequate social services, in particular, in the areas of health, education and adequate housing, as a matter of priority, in cooperation with the United Nations agencies, the regional organisations and international financial bodies, also requests that these agencies provide an adequate response to requests for such services.

 

Refugees

 

34. Urges States to comply with their obligations under international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law relating to refugees, asylum‑seekers and displaced persons, and urges the international community to provide them with protection and assistance in an equitable manner and with due regard to their needs in different parts of the world, in keeping with principles of international solidarity, burden sharing and international cooperation to share responsibilities;

 

35. Calls upon States to recognize the racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance that refugees may face as they endeavour to engage in the life of the societies of their host countries and encourages States to develop strategies to address this discrimination and to facilitate the full enjoyment of the human rights of refugees, in accordance with their international obligations and commitments. State parties should ensure that all measures relating to refugees must be in full accordance with the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol.

 

36. Urges States to take effective steps to protect refugee and internally displaced women and girls from violence, to investigate any such violations and to bring those responsible to justice, in collaboration, when appropriate, with the relevant and competent organizations;

 

Other victims

37. Urges States to take all possible measures to ensure that all persons, without any discrimination, are registered and have access to the necessary documentation reflecting their legal identity to enable them to benefit from available legal procedures, remedies and development opportunities, as well as to reduce the incidence of trafficking;

 

38. Recognizes that victims of trafficking are particularly exposed to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.  States shall ensure that all measures taken against trafficking in persons, in particular those that affect the victims of such trafficking, are consistent with internationally recognized principles of non‑discrimination, including the prohibition of racial discrimination and the availability of appropriate legal redress;

 

39. Calls upon States to ensure that Roma/Gypsy/Sinti/Traveller children and youth, especially girls, are given equal access to education and that educational curricula at all levels, including complementary programmes on intercultural education, which might, inter alia, include opportunities for them to learn the official languages in the pre‑school period and to recruit Roma teachers and classroom assistants in order for such children and youth to learn their mother‑tongue, are sensitive and responsive to their needs;

 

40. Encourages States, to adopt appropriate and concrete policies and measures, to develop implementation mechanisms, where these do not already exist, and to exchange experiences, in cooperation with representatives of the Roma/Gypsies/Sinti/Travellers, in order to eradicate discrimination against them, enable them to achieve equality and ensure their full enjoyment of all their human rights, as recommended in the case of the Roma by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in its General Recommendation XXVII, so that their needs are met;

 

41. Recommends that the intergovernmental organizations address, as appropriate, in their projects of cooperation with and assistance to various States, the situation of the Roma/Gypsies/Sinti/Travellers and promote their economic, social and cultural advancement;

 

42. Calls upon States and encourages non‑governmental organizations to raise awareness about the racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance experienced by the Roma/Gypsies/Sinti/Travellers, and to promote knowledge and respect for their culture and history;

 

43. Encourages the media to promote equal access to and participation in the media for the Roma/Gypsies/Sinti/Travellers, as well as to protect them from racist, stereotypical and discriminatory media reporting, and calls upon States to facilitate the media’s efforts in this regard;

 

44. Invites Government efforts to design policies aimed at combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance that are based on reliable statistical data recognizing the concerns identified in consultation with the Roma/Gypsies/Sinti/Travellers themselves reflecting as accurately as possible their status in society. All such information shall be collected in accordance with provisions on human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as data protection regulations and privacy guarantees and in consultations with the persons concerned;

 

45. Encourages States to address the problems of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance against people of Asian descent and urges States to take all necessary measures to eliminate the barriers that such persons face in participating in economic, social, cultural and political life.

 

46. Urges States to ensure within their jurisdiction, that persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities can exercise fully and effectively all human rights and fundamental freedoms without any discrimination and in full equality before the law, and also urges States and the international community to promote and protect the rights of such persons;

 

47. States should guarantee the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, individually or in community with other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, and to use their own language, in private and in public, freely and without interference, and to participate effectively in the cultural, social, economic and political life of the country in which they live in order to protect them from any form of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance that they are or may be subjected to;

 

48. Urges States to recognize the effect that discrimination, marginalization and social exclusion have had and continue to have on many racial groups living in a numerically based minority situation within a State, and to ensure that persons in such groups can exercise, as individual members of such groups, fully and effectively all human rights and fundamental freedoms without distinction and in full equality before the law, and to take, where applicable, appropriate measures in respect of employment, housing and education with a view to prevent racial discrimination;

 

49. Urges States to take, where applicable, appropriate measures to prevent racial discrimination against persons belonging to, national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities in respect of employment, housing, social services and education and in this context forms of multiple discrimination should be taken into account;

 

50. Urges States to incorporate a gender perspective in all programmes of action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and to consider the burden of such discrimination which falls particularly on indigenous women, African women, Asian women, women of African descent, women of Asian descent, women migrants and women from other disadvantaged groups, ensuring their access to the resources of production on an equal footing with men, as a means of promoting their participation in the economic and productive development of their communities;

 

51. Urges States to involve women, especially women victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in decision‑making at all levels when working towards the eradication of such discrimination, and to develop concrete measures to incorporate race/gender analysis in the implementation of all aspects of the Programme of Action and national plans of action, particularly in the fields of employment programmes and services and resource allocation;

 

52. Recognizing that poverty shapes economic and social status and establishes obstacles to the effective political participation of women and men in different ways and to different extents, urges States to undertake gender analyses on all economic and social policies and programmes, especially poverty eradication measures, including those designed and implemented to benefit those individuals or groups of individuals who are victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

 

53. Urges States and encourages all sectors of society to empower women and girls who are victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, so that they can fully exercise their rights in all spheres of public and private life, and to ensure the full, equal and effective participation of women in decision‑making at all levels, in particular in the design, implementation and evaluation of policies and measures which affect their lives;

 

54. Urges States:

(a)    To recognize that sexual violence which has been systematically used as a weapon of war, sometimes with the acquiescence or at the instigation of the State, is a serious violation of international humanitarian law which, in defined circumstances, constitutes a crime against humanity and/or a war crime, and that the intersection of discrimination on grounds of race and gender makes women and girls particularly vulnerable to this type of violence which is often related to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

(b)   To end impunity and prosecute those responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes, including crimes related to sexual and other gender-based violence against women and girls, as well as to ensure that persons in authority who are responsible for such crimes, including by committing, ordering, soliciting, inducing, aiding in, abetting, assisting or in any other way contributing to the commission or attempted commission are identified, investigated, prosecuted and punished;

 

55. Requests States, in collaboration where necessary with international organizations, having the best interests of the child as a primary consideration, to provide protection against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance against children, especially those in circumstances of particular vulnerability, and to pay special attention to the situation of such children when designing relevant policies, strategies and programmes;

 

56. Urges States, in accordance with their national law and their obligations under the relevant international instruments, to take all measures to the maximum extent of their available resources to guarantee, without any discrimination, the equal right of all children to the immediate registration of birth, in order to enable them to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms. States shall grant women equal rights with men with respect to nationality;

 

57. Urges States and international and regional organizations, and encourages non‑governmental organizations and the private sector to address the situation of persons with disabilities who are also subject to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; also urges States to take necessary measures to ensure their full enjoyment of all human rights and to facilitate their full integration into all fields of  life;

 

III. MEASURES OF PREVENTION, EDUCATION AND PROTECTION AIMED AT THE ERADICATION OF RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATEDINTOLERANCE AT THE NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS

 

58. Urges States to adopt and implement, at both the national and international levels, effective measures and policies, in addition to existing anti‑discrimination national legislation and relevant international instruments and mechanisms, which encourage all citizens and institutions to take a stand against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and to recognize, respect and maximize the benefits of diversity within and among all nations in working together to build a harmonious and productive future by putting into practice and promoting values and principles such as justice, equality and non‑discrimination, democracy, fairness and friendship, tolerance and respect within and between communities and nations, in particular through public information and education programmes to raise awareness and understanding of the benefits of cultural diversity, including programmes where the public authorities work in partnership with international and non‑governmental organizations and other sectors of civil society;

 

59. Urges States to mainstream a gender perspective in the design and development of measures of prevention, education and protection aimed at the eradication of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance at all levels, to ensure that they effectively target the distinct situations of women and men.

 

60. Urges States to adopt or strengthen, as appropriate, national programmes for eradicating poverty and reducing social exclusion which take account of the needs and experiences of groups or individuals who are victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and also urges that they expand their efforts to foster bilateral, regional and international cooperation in implementing those programmes;

61. Urges States to work to ensure that their political and legal systems reflect the multicultural diversity within their societies and where necessary to improve democratic institutions so that they are more fully participatory and avoid marginalization, exclusion and discrimination against specific sectors of society;

62. Urges States to take all necessary measures to address specifically, through policies and programmes, racism and racially motivated violence against women and girls and to increase cooperation, policy responses and effective implementation of national legislation and of their obligations under relevant international instruments, and other protective and preventive measures aimed at the elimination of all forms of racially motivated discrimination and violence against women and girls;

63. Encourages the business sector, in particular the tourist industry and Internet providers, to develop codes of conduct, with a view to preventing trafficking in persons and protecting the victims of such traffic, especially those in prostitution, against gender-based and racial discrimination and promoting their rights, dignity and security;

 

64. Urges States to devise, enforce and strengthen effective measures at the national, regional and international levels to prevent, combat and eliminate all forms of trafficking in women and children, in particular girls, through comprehensive anti‑trafficking strategies which include legislative measures, prevention campaigns and information exchange.  It also urges States to allocate resources, as appropriate, to provide comprehensive programmes designed to provide assistance to, protection for, healing, reintegration into society and rehabilitation of victims. States shall provide or strengthen training for law enforcement, immigration and other relevant officials who deal with victims of trafficking in this regard;

 

65. Encourages the bodies, agencies and relevant programmes of the United Nations system and States to promote and to make use of the “Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement” (E/CN.4/1998/53/Add.2), particularly those provisions relating to non-discrimination, 

 

A. National level

1.  Legislative, judicial, regulatory, administrative and other measures to prevent and protect against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

 

66. Urges States to establish and implement without delay national policies and action plans to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance, including their gender‑based manifestations;

 

67. Urges States to design or reinforce, promote and implement effective legislative and administrative policies, as well as other preventive measures, against the serious situation experienced by certain groups of workers, including migrant workers, who are victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Special attention should be given to protecting people engaged in domestic work and trafficked persons, from discrimination and violence, as well as to combating prejudice against them;

 

68. Urges States to adopt and implement, or strengthen, national legislation and administrative measures that expressly and specifically counter racism and prohibit racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance whether direct or indirect, in all spheres of public life in accordance with their obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination ensuring that their reservations are not contrary to the object and purpose of the Convention;

 

69. Urges States to enact and implement, as appropriate, laws against trafficking in persons, especially women and children and smuggling of migrants, taking into account, practices that endanger human lives or lead to various kinds of servitude and exploitation, such as debt bondage, slavery, sexual exploitation or labour exploitation; also encourages States to create, if they do not already exist, mechanisms to combat such practices and to allocate adequate resources to ensure law enforcement, the protection of the rights of victims, and to reinforce bilateral, regional and international cooperation, including with non‑governmental organizations that assist victims, to combat this trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants;

 

70. Urges States to take all necessary constitutional, legislative and administrative measures to foster equality among individuals and groups who are affected by, vulnerable to, or victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and to review existing measures with a view to amending or repealing national legislation and administrative provisions that may give rise to such forms of discrimination;

 

71. Urges States, including their law enforcement agencies, to design and fully implement effective policies and programmes to prevent, detect and ensure accountability for misconduct by police officers and other law enforcement personnel which is motivated by racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and to prosecute perpetrators of such misconduct;

 

72. Urges States to design, implement and enforce effective measures to eliminate the phenomenon popularly known as “racial profiling” and comprising the practice of police and other law enforcement officers relying, to any degree, on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin as the basis for subjecting persons to investigatory activities or for determining whether an individual is engaged in criminal activity.

 

73. Urges States to take measures to prevent genetic research or its applications from being used to promote racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, to protect the privacy of personal genetic information and to prevent such information from being used for discriminatory or racist purposes;

 

74. Urges States and invites non-governmental organizations and the private sector:

(a) To create and implement policies that promote a high-quality and diverse police force free from racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and recruit actively all groups, including minorities, into public employment, including the police force and other agencies within the criminal justice system (such as prosecutors);

(b) To work to reduce violence, including violence motivated by racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, by:

i)                    Developing educational materials to teach young people the importance of tolerance and respect;

ii)                   Addressing bias before it manifests itself in violent criminal activity;

iii)                 Establishing working groups consisting of, among others, local community leaders and national and local law enforcement officials, to improve coordination, community involvement, training, education and data collection, with the aim of preventing such violent criminal activity;

iv)                 Ensuring that civil rights laws that prohibit violent criminal activity are strongly enforced;

v)                  Enhancing data collection regarding violence motivated by racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

vi)                 Providing appropriate assistance to victims, and public education to prevent future incidents of violence motivated by racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

 

Ratification of and effective implementation of relevant international and regional legal instruments on human rights and non-discrimination

 

75.  Urges States that have not yet done so to consider ratifying or acceding to the international human rights instruments which combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in particular to accede to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination as a matter of urgency, with a view to universal ratification by the year 2005, and to consider making the declaration envisaged under article 14, to comply with their reporting obligations, and to publish and act upon the concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It also urges States to withdraw reservations contrary to the object and purpose of that Convention and to consider withdrawing other reservations;

 

76.  Urges States to give due consideration to the observations and recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. To that effect, States should consider setting up appropriate national monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure that all appropriate steps are taken to follow up on these observations and recommendations;

 

77.  Urges States that have not yet done so to consider becoming parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as to consider acceding to the Optional Protocols to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

 

78.  Urges those States that have not yet done so to consider signing and ratifying or acceding to the following instruments:

(a)  Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 1948;

(b) International Labour Organization Migration for Employment Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 97);

(c)  Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, 1949;

(d)  Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951, and its 1967 Protocol;

(e)  International Labour Organization Discrimination Convention (Employment and Occupation), 1958 (No. 111);

(f)  Convention against Discrimination in Education, adopted on 14 December 1960 by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization;

(g)  Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1979, with a view to achieving universal ratification within five years, and its Optional Protocol of 1999;

(h) Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989 and its two Optional Protocols of 2000, and the International Labour Organization Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) and Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182);

(i) International Labour Organization Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 (No. 143);

(j) International Labour Organization Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169) and the Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992;

(k)  International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, 1990;

(l) The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, 1998;

(m) United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the Convention and the Protocol against the smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the Convention, 2000;

It further urges States Parties to these instruments to implement them fully;

 

79. Calls upon States to promote and protect the exercise of the rights set out in the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, proclaimed by the General Assembly in its resolution 36/55, of 25 November 1981, in order to obviate religious discrimination which, when combined with certain other forms of discrimination, constitutes a form of multiple discrimination;

 

80. Urges States to seek full respect for, and compliance with, the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963, especially as it relates to the right of foreign nationals, regardless of their legal and immigration status, to communicate with a consular officer of their own State in the case of arrest or detention;

 

81. Urges all States to prohibit discriminatory treatment against foreigners and migrant workers, inter alia, where appropriate, concerning the granting of work visas and work permits housing, health care and access to justice, based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin;

 

82. Underlines the importance of combating impunity, including for crimes with a racist or xenophobic motivation, also at the international level noting that impunity for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law is a serious obstacle to a fair and equitable justice system and, ultimately, reconciliation and stability; it also fully supports the work of the existing international criminal tribunals and the ratification of the Statute of the International Criminal Court; urges all States to cooperate with these international criminal tribunals;

 

83. Urges States to make every effort to fully apply the relevant provisions of the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work of 1998 of the ILO, in order to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. 

 

Prosecution of perpetrators of racist acts

 

84.  Urges States to adopt effective measures to combat criminal acts motivated by racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, to take measures so that such motivations be considered an aggravating factor for the purposes of sentencing, to prevent these crimes from going unpunished and to ensure the rule of law;

 

85.  Urges States to undertake investigations to examine possible links between criminal prosecution, police violence and penal sanctions, on the one hand, and racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, on the other, so as to have evidence for taking the necessary steps for the eradication of any such links and discriminatory practices;

 

86.  Calls upon States to promote  measures to deter the emergence and to counter neo‑fascist, violent nationalist ideologies which promote racial hatred and racial discrimination, as well as racist and xenophobic sentiments, including measures to combat the negative influence of such ideologies especially on young people through formal and non-formal education, media and sport;

 

87.  Urges States parties to adopt legislation implementing the obligations they have assumed to prosecute and punish persons who have committed or ordered to be committed grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and Additional Protocol I thereto and of other serious violations of the laws and customs of war, in particular in relation to the principle of non‑discrimination;

 

88.  Calls upon States to criminalize all forms of trafficking in persons, in particular women and children and to condemn and penalize traffickers and intermediaries, while ensuring protection and assistance to the victims of trafficking with full respect for their human rights;

 

89.  Urges States to carry out comprehensive, exhaustive, timely and impartial investigations of all unlawful acts of racism and racial discrimination, to prosecute criminal offences ex officio, as appropriate, or initiate or facilitate all appropriate actions arising from offences of a racist or xenophobic nature, to ensure that criminal and civil investigations, and prosecutions of offences of a racist or xenophobic nature are given high priority and are actively and consistently undertaken, and ensure the right to equal treatment before the tribunals and all other organs administering justice. In this regard, the World Conference underlines the importance of fostering awareness and providing training to the various agents in the criminal justice system to ensure fair and impartial application of the law. In this respect, it recommends that anti‑discrimination monitoring services be established;

 

Establishment and reinforcement of independent specialized national institutions and mediation

 

90.  Urges States, as appropriate, to establish, strengthen, review and reinforce the effectiveness of independent national human rights institutions, particularly on issues of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in conformity with the Principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, annexed to General Assembly resolution 48/134 of 20 December 1993, and to provide them with adequate financial resources, competence and capacity for investigation, research, education and public awareness activities to combat these phenomena;

 

91.  Also urges States:

(a) To foster cooperation between these institutions and other national institutions;

(b)  To take steps to ensure that those groups or individuals who are victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance can participate fully in these institutions;

(c)  To support these institutions and similar bodies, inter alia through the publication and circulation of existing national laws and jurisprudence, and cooperation with institutions in other countries so that knowledge can be gained of the manifestations, functions and mechanisms of these practices and the strategies designed to prevent, combat and eradicate them;

2.   Policies and practices

 

Data collection and disaggregation, research and study

 

92. Urges States to collect, compile, analyse, disseminate and publish reliable statistical data at the national and local levels and undertake all other related measures which are necessary to assess regularly the situation of individuals and groups who are victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance .

(a)  Such statistical data should be disaggregated in accordance with national legislation. Any such information shall, as appropriate, be collected with their explicit consent of the victims, based on their self-identification and in accordance with provisions on human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as data protection regulations and privacy guarantees. This information must not be misused.

(b)   The statistical data and information should be collected with the objective of monitoring the situation of marginalised groups as well as the development and evaluation of legislation, policies, practices and other measures aimed at preventing and combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, as well as for the purpose of determining whether any measures have an unintentional disparate impact on victims. To that end, it recommends the development of voluntary, consensual and participatory strategies in the process of collecting, designing and using information.

(c)  The information should take into account economic and social indicators, including, where appropriate, health and health status, infant and maternal mortality, life expectancy, literacy, education, employment, housing, land ownership, mental and physical health care, water, sanitation, energy and communications services, poverty and average disposable income in order to elaborate social and economic development policies with a view to closing the existing gaps in social and economic conditions.

 

93. Invites States, inter-governmental organisations, non-governmental organisations, academic institutions and the private sector to improve concepts and methods of data collection and analysis; to promote research, exchange experiences and successful practices and develop promotional activities in this area; and to develop indicators of progress and participation of individuals and groups in society subject to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

 

94. Recognizes that policies and programmes aimed at combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance should be based on quantitative and qualitative research, incorporating a gender perspective. Such policies and programmes should take into account priorities identified by individuals and groups who are victims of, or subject to, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

 

95. Urges States to establish regular monitoring on acts of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in the public and private sector, including those committed by law enforcement officials;

 

96. Invites States to promote and conduct studies and adopt an integral objective and long-term approach to all phases and aspects of migration which will deal effectively with both its causes and manifestations.  These studies and approaches should pay special attention to the root causes of migratory flows, such as lack of full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the effects of economic globalization on migration trends;

 

97. Recommends that further studies be conducted on how racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance may be reflected in laws, policies, institutions and practices and how this may have contributed to the victimization and exclusion of migrants, especially women and children;

 

98. Recommends that States include where applicable in their periodic reports to United Nations human rights treaty bodies, in an appropriate form, statistical information relating to individuals, members of groups and communities within their jurisdiction, including statistical data about participation in political life and about their economic, social and cultural situation. All such information shall be collected in accordance with provisions on human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as data protection regulations and privacy guarantees;

 

Action-oriented policies and action plans, including affirmative action to ensure non-discrimination, in particular as regards access to social services, employment, housing, education, health care, etc.

 

99. Recognizes that combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance is a primary responsibility of States. It therefore encourages States to develop or elaborate national action plans to promote diversity, equality, equity, social justice, equality of opportunity and the participation of all.  Through, among other things, affirmative or positive actions and strategies, these plans should aim at creating conditions for all to participate effectively in decision‑making and realize civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights in all spheres of life on the basis of non‑discrimination. The World Conference encourages States, in developing and elaborating such action plans, to establish, or reinforce, dialogue with non‑governmental organizations in order to involve them more closely in designing, implementing and evaluating policies and programmes;

 

100. Urges States to establish, on the basis of statistical information, national programmes, including affirmative or positive measures, to promote the access of groups of individuals who are or may be victims of racial discrimination to basic social services, including primary education, basic health care and adequate housing;

 

101. Urges States to establish programmes to promote the access without discrimination to groups or individuals who are victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, to health care and to promote strong efforts to eliminate, disparities, inter alia, in the infant and maternal mortality rates, childhood immunizations, HIV/AIDS, heart diseases, cancer and contagious diseases;

 

102. Urges States to promote residential integration of all members of the society at the planning stage of urban development schemes and other human settlements, as well as, while renewing neglected areas of public housing so as to counter social exclusion and marginalisation.

 

Employment

 

103. Urges States to promote and support where appropriate the organization and operation of enterprises owned by persons who are victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance by promoting equal access to credits and training programmes;

 

104. Urges States and encourages non‑governmental organizations and the private sector:

(a)  To support the creation of workplaces free of discrimination through a multifaceted strategy that includes civil rights enforcement, public education and communication within the workplace, and to promote and protect the rights of workers who are subject to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

(b)   To foster the creation, growth and expansion of businesses dedicated to improving economic and educational conditions in underserved and disadvantaged areas, by increasing access to capital through, inter alia, community development banks, recognizing that new businesses can have a positive, dynamic impact on communities in need, and to work with the private sector to create jobs, help retain existing jobs and stimulate industrial and commercial growth in economically distressed areas;

(c)    to improve the prospects of targeted groups facing, inter alia, the greatest obstacles in finding, keeping or regaining work, including skilled employment.  Particular attention should be paid to persons subject to multiple discrimination;

 

105. Urges States to give special attention, when devising and implementing legislation and policies designed to enhance the protection of workers’ rights, to the serious situation of the lack of protection, and in some cases, exploitation, as in the case of trafficked persons and smuggled migrants which makes them more vulnerable to ill-treatment such as confinement in the case of domestic workers and also being employed in dangerous and poorly paid jobs.

 

106. Urges States to avoid the negative effects of discriminatory practices, racism and xenophobia in employment and occupation by promoting the application and observance of international instruments and norms on workers’ rights.

 

107. Encourages States to consider taking measures to increase the recruitment, retention and promotion of women and men belonging to groups which are currently under-represented in the teaching profession as a result of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and guarantee them effective equality of access to the profession it. Particular efforts should be made to recruit women and men who have the ability to interact effectively with all groups;

 

108. Calls upon States and encourages representatives of trade unions and the business sector to advance non-discriminatory practices at the work place and protect the rights of workers including in particular, the victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

 

109. Calls upon States to provide effective access to administrative and legal procedures and other remedial action to victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance at the work place.  

 

Health, environment

 

110. Urges States, individually and through international cooperation, to enhance measures to fulfil the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, with a view to eliminating disparities in health status, as indicated in standard health indexes, which might result from racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

 

111. Urges States and encourages non‑governmental organizations and the private sector:

(a) To provide effective mechanisms for monitoring and eliminating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in the health‑care system, such as the development and enforcement of effective anti‑discrimination laws;

(b) To take steps to ensure equal access to comprehensive, quality health care affordable for all, including primary health care for medically underserved people, facilitate the training of a health workforce that is both diverse and motivated to work in underserved communities, and work to increase diversity in the health‑care profession by recruiting women and men from all groups on merit and potential, representing the diversity of their societies, for health‑care careers and by retaining them in the health professions;

(c)To work with health‑care professionals, community‑based health providers, non‑governmental organizations, scientific researchers and private industry as a means of improving the health status of marginalized communities, in particular victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

(d)To work with health professionals, scientific researchers and international and regional health organizations to study the differential impacts of medical treatments and health strategies on various communities;

(e)To adopt and implement policies and programmes to improve HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in high‑risk communities and work to expand availability of HIV/AIDS care, treatment and other support services;

 

112. Invites States to consider non-discriminatory measures to provide a safe and healthy environment for individuals and members of groups victims of or subject to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in particular:

a)      to improve access to public information on health and environment issues;

b)      to ensure that relevant concerns are taken into account in the public process of decision-making on the environment;

c)      to share technology and successful practices to improve human health and environment in all areas;

d)      to take appropriate remedial measures, as possible to clean, re-use and redevelop contaminated sites and where appropriate, relocate those affected on a voluntary basis after consultations;

 

Equal participation in political, economic, social and cultural decision‑making

 

113. Urges States and encourages the private sector and international financial and development institutions, such as the World Bank and regional development banks, to promote participation of persons who are victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in economic, cultural and social decision‑making at all stages, particularly in the development and implementation of poverty alleviation strategies, development projects, and trade and market assistance programmes;

 

114. Urges States to promote, as appropriate, effective and equal access of all members of the community, especially those who are victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, to the decision making process in society at all levels and in particular at the local level, and also urges States and encourages the private sector to facilitate their effective participation in the economic life;

 

115. Urges all multilateral financial and development institutions in particular the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organisation and regional development banks to promote, in accordance with their regular budgets and the procedures of their governing bodies, participation by all members of the international community in decision making processes at all stages and levels in order to facilitate development projects and, as appropriate, trade and market access programmes.

 

Role of politicians and political parties

 

116. Underlines the key role that politicians and political parties can play in combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and encourages political parties to take concrete steps to promote equality, solidarity and non-discrimination in society, inter alia, by developing voluntary codes of conduct, which include internal disciplinary measures for violations thereof, so their members refrain from public statements and actions that encourage or incite racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

 

117. Invites the Inter-Parliamentary Union to encourage debate in, and action by, Parliaments on various measures including laws and policies to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

3.   Education and awareness-raising measures

 

118. Urges States, where appropriate working with other relevant bodies, to commit financial resources to anti‑racism education and to media campaigns promoting the values of acceptance, tolerance, diversity and respect for the cultures of all indigenous peoples living within their national borders. In particular, States should promote an accurate understanding of the histories and cultures of indigenous peoples;

 

119. Urges the United Nations, other appropriate international and regional organizations and States to redress the marginalization of Africa’s contribution to world history and civilization by developing and implementing a specific and comprehensive programme of research, education and mass communication to disseminate widely a balanced and objective presentation of Africa’s seminal and valuable contribution to humanity;

 

120. Invites States and relevant international organizations and non-governmental organizations to build upon the efforts of UNESCO's Slave Route Project and its theme of “Breaking the Silence” by developing texts and testimony slavery multi-media centres and/or programmes that will collect, record, organize, exhibit and publish the existing data relevant to the history of slavery and the trans-Atlantic, Mediterranean and Indian Ocean slave trades, paying particular attention to the thoughts and actions of the victims of slavery and the slave trade, in their quest for freedom and justice.

 

Access to education without discrimination

 

121. Urges States to commit themselves to ensuring access to education, including access to free primary education for all children, both girls and boys and access for adults to lifelong learning and education, based on respect for human rights, diversity and tolerance, without discrimination of any kind;

 

122. Urges States to ensure equal access to education for all in law and in practice and to refrain from any legal or any other measures leading to imposed racial segregation in any form in access to schooling;

 

123. Urges States to:

(a)              adopt and implement laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin at all levels of education, both formal and non-formal;

(b)              take all appropriate measures to eliminate obstacles limiting the access of children to education;

(c)              ensure that all children have access without discrimination to education of good quality;

(d)              establish and implement standardised methods to measure and track the educational performance of disadvantaged children and young people;

(e)              to commit resources to eliminate where they exist, inequalities in educational outcomes for children and young people;

(f)               support efforts to ensure safe school environments free from violence and harassment motivated by racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia or related intolerance ; and

(g)              consider establishing financial assistance programmes designed to enable all students, regardless of race, colour, descent or ethnic or national origin to attend institutions of higher education;

 

125. Urges States to adopt and implement laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin at all levels of education; remove barriers and ensure equal access to quality education that maximizes opportunities for employment in today’s job markets; establish and implement methods to measure and track improvement in disadvantaged youths’ education performance; support efforts to ensure safe school environments free from violence and free of harassment on the basis of race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin; and establish financial assistance programmes designed to enable students, regardless of race, colour, descent or ethnic or national origin, to attend institutions of higher education;

 

Human rights education

 

126. Requests States to include the struggle against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance among the activities undertaken within the framework of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education and to take into account the recommendations of the mid‑term evaluation report of the Decade;

 

127. Encourages all States, in cooperation with the United Nations, UNESCO and other relevant international organizations, to initiate and develop cultural and educational programmes aimed at countering racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in order to ensure respect for the dignity and worth of all human beings and enhance mutual understanding amongst all cultures and civilizations. It further urges States to support and implement public information campaigns and specific training programmes in the field of human rights, where appropriate formulated in local languages, to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and promote respect for the values of diversity, pluralism, tolerance, mutual respect, cultural sensitivity, integration and inclusiveness, Such programmes and campaigns should be addressed to all sectors of society, in particular children and young people;

 

128. Urges States to intensify their efforts in the field of education, including human rights education, in order to promote an understanding and awareness of the causes, consequences and evils of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and also urges States and encourages educational authorities and the private sector, as appropriate, to develop educational materials, in consultation with educational authorities and the private sector, as appropriate, including textbooks and dictionaries, aimed at combating those phenomena, and, in this context, calls upon States to give importance if appropriate, to textbook and curriculum review and amendment so as to eliminate any elements that might promote racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance or reinforce negative stereotypes, and to include material that refutes such stereotypes;

 

129. Urges the United Nations, other appropriate international and regional organizations and States to redress the marginalization of Africa’s contribution to world history and civilization by developing and implementing a specific and comprehensive programme of research, education and mass communication to disseminate widely a balanced and objective presentation of Africa’s seminal and valuable contribution to humanity;

 

130. Urges States, where appropriate working with other relevant bodies, to commit financial resources to anti‑racism education and to media campaigns promoting the values of acceptance, tolerance, diversity and respect for the cultures of all indigenous peoples living within their borders.  In particular, States should promote an accurate understanding of the histories and cultures of indigenous peoples;

 

131. Urges States, if appropriate in cooperation with relevant organization including youth organizations, to support and implement public formal and non‑formal education, programmes designed to promote respect for cultural diversity;

 

Human rights education for children and youth

 

132. Urges States to introduce and, as applicable, to reinforce anti‑discrimination and anti‑racism components in human rights programmes in school curricula, to develop and improve relevant educational material, including history and other textbooks and to ensure that all teachers are effectively trained and adequately motivated to shape attitudes and behavioural patterns, based on the principles of non‑discrimination, mutual respect and tolerance;

 

133. Calls upon States to undertake and facilitate activities aimed at educating young people in human rights and democratic citizenship and instilling values of solidarity, respect and appreciation of diversity, including respect for different groups. A special effort to inform and sensitize young people to respect democratic values and human rights should be undertaken or developed to fight against ideologies based on the fallacious theory of racial superiority;

 

134. Urges States to encourage all schools to consider developing educational activities, including extra‑curricular ones to raise awareness against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, inter alia, by commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (21 March);

 

135. Recommends to States to introduce, or reinforce, human rights education, with a view to combating prejudices which lead to racial discrimination and to promoting understanding , tolerance and friendship between different racial or ethnic groups in schools and in institutions of higher education curricula and to support public formal and non-formal education programmes designed to promote respect for cultural diversity and self-esteem of victims;

 

Human rights education for public officials and professionals

 

136. Urges States to develop and strengthen anti‑racist and gender‑sensitive human rights training for public officials including personnel in the administration of justice, particularly in law enforcement, correctional and security services as well as among health‑care, schools and migration authorities;

 

137. Urges States to pay specific attention to the negative impact of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance on the administration of justice and fair trial and to conduct nationwide campaigns, amongst other measures, to raise awareness among State organs and public officials concerning their obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and other relevant instruments;

 

138. Requests States, wherever appropriate through cooperation with international organizations, national institutions, non‑governmental organizations and the private sector, to organize and facilitate training activities, including courses or seminars about international norms prohibiting racial discrimination and their applicability in domestic law, as well as on their international human rights obligations, for prosecutors, members of the judiciary and other public officials;

 

139. Calls upon States to ensure that education and training, especially teacher training, promote respect for human rights and the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and that educational institutions implement policies and programmes agreed by the relevant authorities on equal opportunities, anti‑racism, gender equality, cultural, religious and other diversity, with the participation of teachers, parents and students, and follow‑up their implementation.  It further urges all educators, including teachers at all levels of education, religious communities and the print and electronic media to play an effective role in human rights education including as a means to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

 

140. Encourages States to consider taking measures to increase the recruitment, retention and promotion of women and men who are victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in the teaching profession and guarantee them effective equality of access to it. Particular efforts should be made to recruit women and men who have the ability to interact effectively with all groups;

 

141. Urges States to strengthen the human rights training and awareness‑raising activities designed for immigration officials, border police and staff of detention centres and prisons, local authorities and other civil servants in charge of enforcing laws, as well as teachers, with particular attention to the human rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, in order to prevent acts of racial discrimination and xenophobia avoid situations where prejudices lead to decisions based on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia or related intolerance;

 

142. Urges States to provide or strengthen training for law enforcement, immigration and other relevant officials in the prevention of trafficking in persons. The training should focus on methods used in preventing such trafficking, prosecuting the traffickers and protecting the rights of victims, including protecting the victims from the traffickers.  The training should also take into account the need to consider human rights and child- and gender- sensitive issues and it should encourage cooperation with non-governmental organizations, other relevant organizations and other elements of civil society;

 

4.   Information, communication and the media, including new technologies

 

143. Welcomes the positive contribution made by the new information and communications technologies, including the Internet, in combating racism through rapid and wide‑reaching communication.

 

144. Draws attention to the potential to increase the use of the new information and communications technologies, including the Internet, to create educational and awareness‑raising networks against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, both in and out of school, as well as the ability of the Internet to promote universal respect for human rights and also respect for the value of cultural diversity;

 

145. Emphasises the importance of recognizing the value of cultural diversity and putting in place concrete measures to encourage the access of the marginalized communities to the mainstream and alternative media through, inter alia, the presentation of programmes that reflect their cultures and languages;

 

146. Expresses concern at the material progression of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance including its contemporary forms and manifestations, such as the use of the new information and communications technologies, including the Internet, to disseminate ideas of racial superiority;

 

147. Urges States and encourages the private sector to promote the development by the media, including the print and electronic media, including Internet and advertising, taking into account their independence, through their relevant associations and organizations at the national, regional and international levels, of a voluntary ethical code of conduct and self‑regulatory measures, of policies and practices aimed at:

(a) Combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

(b) Promoting the fair, balanced and equitable representation of the diversity of their societies, as well as ensuring that this diversity is reflected among their staff;

(c) Combating the proliferation of ideas of racial superiority, justification of racial hatred and discrimination in any form;

(d)  Promoting respect, tolerance and understanding among all individuals, peoples, nations and civilizations, for example through assistance in public awareness‑raising campaigns;

(e)    Avoiding stereotyping in all its forms, and particularly the promotion of false images of migrants, including migrant workers, and refugees in order to prevent the spread of xenophobic sentiments among the public and to encourage the objective and balanced portrayal of people, events and history;

 

148. Urges States to implement legal sanctions, in accordance with relevant international human rights law, in respect of incitement to racial hatred through new information and communications technologies, including the Internet, and further urges them to apply all relevant human rights instruments to which they are Parties, in particular the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, to racism on the Internet;

149. Urges States to encourage the media to avoid stereotyping based on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

150. Calls upon States to consider the following, taking fully into account existing international and regional standards on freedom of expression, while taking all necessary measures to guarantee the right to freedom of opinion and expression:

a.) to encourage Internet service providers to establish and disseminate specific voluntary codes of conduct and self-regulatory measures against the dissemination of racist messages and those that result in racial discrimination, xenophobia or any form of intolerance and discrimination; to that end, Internet providers are encouraged to set up mediating bodies at national and international levels, involving relevant civil society institutions;

b.) to adopt and apply, to the extent possible, appropriate legislation for prosecuting those responsible for incitement to racial hatred or violence on the new information and communications technologies, including the Internet:

c.)    to address the problem of dissemination of racist material through the new information and communications technologies, including the Internet, inter alia by imparting training to law enforcement authorities;

d.)    to denounce and actively discourage the transmission of racist and xenophobic messages through all communications media, including new information and communications technologies, such as the Internet;

e.)    to consider a prompt and co-ordinated international response to the rapidly evolving phenomenon of the dissemination of hate speech and racist material on new information and communications technologies, including the Internet; and in this context to strengthen international cooperation;

f.)      to encourage access and use by all people of the Internet as an international and equal forum, aware that there are disparities in use of and access to the Internet;

g.)    to examine ways in which the positive contribution made by the new information and communications technologies, such as the Internet, can be enhanced through replication of good practices in combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

h.)    to encourage the reflection of the diversity of societies among the personnel of media organisations and the new information and communications technologies, such as the Internet, by promoting adequate representation of different segments within societies at all levels of their organisational structure;


B. International level

151. Urges all actors on the international scene to build an international order based on inclusion, justice, equality and equity, human dignity, mutual understanding and promotion of and respect for cultural diversity and universal human rights, and to reject all doctrines of exclusion based on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

 

152. We believe that all conflicts and disputes should be resolved through peaceful means and political dialogue. We call on all parties involved in such conflicts to exercise restraint and to respect human rights and international humanitarian law;

 

153. We call upon States, in opposing all forms of racism, to recognize the need to counter anti-Semitism, anti-Arabism and Islamophobia world-wide and urge all States to take effective measures to prevent the emergence of movements based on racism and discriminator ideas concerning these communities.

 

154. As for the situation in the Middle East, we call for the end of violence and the swift resumption of negotiations, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law, respect for the principle of self-determination and the end of all suffering, thus allowing Israel and the Palestinians to resume the peace process, and to develop and prosper in security and freedom.

 

155. Encourages States, regional and international organizations, including financial institutions, as well as civil society, to address within existing mechanisms or where necessary to put in place and/or develop mechanisms to address those aspects of globalization which may lead to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

 

156. Recommends that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the Secretariat and other concerned United Nations agencies, bodies and programmes strengthen their coordination to discern patterns of serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law with a view to assessing the risk of further deterioration that could lead to genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity;

 

157. Encourages the World Health Organisation and other relevant international organisations to promote and develop activities for the recognition of the impact of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance as significant social determinants of physical and mental health status, including the HIV¤ AIDS pandemic, and access to health care, and to prepare specific projects, including research, to ensure equitable health systems for the victims.

 

158. Encourages the International Labour Organisation to carry out activities and programmes to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in the world of work, and support actions of States, employer­¢s organisations and trade unions in this field.

 

159. Urges the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to provide support to States in the preparation of teaching materials and tools for promoting teaching, training and educational activities relating to human rights and the struggle against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

 

IV. PROVISION OF EFFECTIVE REMEDIES, RECOURSE, REDRESS,

AND OTHER MEASURES AT THE NATIONAL,rEGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS

Legal assistance

 

160. Urges States to take all necessary measures to address, as a matter of urgency, the pressing requirement for justice for the victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and to ensure that victims have full access to information, support, effective protection and national, administrative and judicial remedies, including the right to seek just and adequate reparation or satisfaction for damage, as well as legal assistance, where required;

 

161. Urges States to facilitate to victims of racial discrimination, including victims of torture and ill-treatment, access to all appropriate legal procedures and free legal assistance in a manner adapted to their specific needs and vulnerability, including through legal representation;

 

162. Urges States to ensure the protection against victimization of complainants and witnesses to acts of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and to consider measures such as, where appropriate, making legal assistance, including legal aid, available to complainants when seeking a legal remedy and, if possible, affording the possibility for non‑governmental organizations to support complainants of racism, with their consent, in legal procedures;

 

National legislation and programmes

 

163. For the purposes of effectively combating racism and racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in the civil, political, economic, social and cultural fields, the World Conference recommends to all Member States that their national legislative framework should expressly and specifically prohibit racial discrimination and provide effective judicial and other remedies or redress, including through the designation of national, independent, specialized bodies.

 

164. Urges States, with regard to the procedural remedies provided for in their domestic law, to bear in mind the following considerations:

(a)    Access to such remedies should be widely available, on a non-discriminatory and equal basis;

(b)    Existing procedural remedies should be made known in the context of the relevant action, and victims of racial discrimination should be helped to avail themselves of them in accordance with the particular case;

(c)    Inquiries into complaints of racial discrimination, and the adjudication of such complaints must be carried out as rapidly as possible;

(d)    Persons who are victims of racial discrimination should be accorded legal assistance and aid in the complaint proceedings, where applicable free of charge and, where necessary, should be provided with the help of competent interpreters in such complaint proceedings or in any civil or criminal cases arising therefrom or connected thereto;

(e)    The creation of competent national bodies to effectively investigate allegations of racial discrimination and to give protection to complainants against intimidation or harassment is a desirable development and should be undertaken; Steps should be taken towards the enactment of legislation to prohibit discriminatory practices on grounds of race, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin, and to provide for the application of appropriate penalties against offenders and remedies, including adequate compensation of the victims;

(f)      Access to legal remedies should be facilitated for victims of discrimination and, in this regard, the innovation of conferring a capacity on national and other institutions, as well as relevant non-governmental organizations to assist such victims should be seriously considered, and programmes should be developed to enable the most vulnerable groups to have access to the legal system;

(g)    New and innovative methods and procedures of conflict resolution, mediation and conciliation between parties involved in conflicts or disputes based on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance should be explored and, where possible, established;

(h)    The development of restorative justice policies and programmes for the benefit of victims of relevant forms of discrimination is desirable and should be seriously considered;

(i)      States which have acceded to article 14 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination should make increased efforts to inform their public of the existence of the complaints mechanism under article 14;

Remedies, reparations, compensation

165. Urges States to reinforce protection against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance by ensuring that all persons have access to effective and adequate remedies and enjoy the right to seek from competent national tribunals and other national institutions just and adequate reparation and satisfaction for any damage as a result of such discrimination. It further underlines the importance of access to the law and to the courts for complainants of racism and racial discrimination and draws attention to the need for judicial and other remedies to be made widely known, easily accessible, expeditious and not unduly complicated;

 

166. Urges States to adopt the necessary measures, as provided by national law, to ensure the right of victims to seek just and adequate reparation and satisfaction to address acts of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and to design effective measures to prevent the repetition of such acts;

 

V. STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE FULL AND EFFECTIVE EQUALITY,INCLUDING INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ANDENHANCEMENT OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL MECHANISMS IN COMBATING RACISM,RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED INTOLERANCE AND FOLLOW-UP

 

167. Calls upon States to apply diligently all commitments undertaken by them in the declarations and plans of action of the regional conferences in which they participated, and to formulate national policies and action plans to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in compliance with the objectives set forth therein, and as provided for in other relevant instruments and decisions; and further requests that, in cases where such national policies and action plans to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance already exist, States incorporate in them the commitments arising from their regional conferences;

 

168. Urges States that have not yet done so to consider acceding to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and their two Additional Protocols of 1977, as well as to other treaties of international humanitarian law, and to enact, with the highest priority, appropriate legislation, taking the measures required to give full effect to their obligations under international humanitarian law, in particular in relation to the rules prohibiting discrimination;

 

169. Urges States to develop cooperation programmes to promote equal opportunities for the benefit of victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and encourages them to propose the creation of multilateral cooperation programmes with the same objective;

 

170. Invites States to include the subject of the struggle against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in the work programmes of the regional integration agencies and of the regional cross‑boundary dialogue forums;

 

171. Urges States to recognize the challenges that people of different socially constructed races, colours, descent, national or ethnic origins, religions and languages experience in seeking to live together and to develop harmonious multi-racial and multi-cultural societies; also urges States to recognize that the positive examples of relatively successful multi-racial and multi-cultural societies, such as some of those in the Caribbean region, need to be examined and analysed, and that techniques, mechanisms, policies and programmes for reconciling conflicts based on factors related to race, colour, descent, language, religion, national or ethnic origin, and for developing harmonious multi-racial and multi cultural societies need to be systematically considered and developed, and therefore requests the United Nations and its relevant specialized agencies to consider establishing an international centre for multi-racial and multi-cultural studies and policy development to undertaken this critical work for the benefit of the international community;

 

172. Urges States to protect the national or ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity of minorities within their respective territories and to develop appropriate legislative and other measures to encourage conditions for the promotion of that identity, in order to protect them from any form of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. In this context, forms of multiple discrimination should be fully taken into account.

 

173. Further urges States to equally ensure the protection and promotion of the identities of the historically disadvantaged communities in those unique circumstances where this may be appropriate;

 

174. Urges States to take or strengthen measures, including through bilateral or multilateral cooperation, to address root causes, such as poverty, underdevelopment and lack of equal opportunity, some of which may be associated with discriminatory practices, that make persons, especially women and children, vulnerable to trafficking, which may give rise to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

 

175. Encourages States, in cooperation with non‑governmental organizations, to undertake campaigns aimed at clarifying opportunities, limitations and rights in the event of migration so as to enable everyone, in particular women to make informed decisions and to prevent them from becoming victims of trafficking;

 

176. Urges States to adopt and implement social development policies based on reliable statistical data and centred on the attainment, by the year 2015, of the commitments to meet the basic needs of all set forth in paragraph 36 of the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development, held at Copenhagen in 1995, with a view to significantly close the existing gaps in living conditions faced by victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, especially regarding the illiteracy rate, universal primary education, infant mortality, under‑five child mortality, health, reproductive health care to all, and access to safe drinking water. Promotion of gender equality will also be taken into account in the adoption and implementation of these policies.

 

International legal framework

 

177. Urges States to continue cooperating with the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and other human rights treaty monitoring bodies in order to promote, including by means of a constructive and transparent dialogue, the effective implementation of these instruments and proper consideration of the recommendations adopted by these bodies concerning complaints of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

 

178. Requests adequate resources for the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in order to enable the full discharge of its mandate and stresses the importance of providing adequate resources for all United Nations human rights treaty bodies.

 

General international instruments

 

179. Endorses efforts of the international community, in particular steps taken under the auspices of UNESCO to promote respect for and preserve cultural diversity within and between communities and nations with a view to creating a harmonious multicultural world, including elaboration of a possible international instrument in this respect in a manner consistent with international human rights instruments;

 

180. Invites the United Nations General Assembly to consider elaborating an integral and comprehensive International Convention to protect and promote the rights and dignity of disabled people, including especially provisions that address the discriminatory practices and treatment affecting them.

 

Regional/international cooperation

 

181. Invites the Inter‑Parliamentary Union to contribute to the activities of the International Year of Mobilization against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance by encouraging national Parliaments to review progress on the objectives of the World Conference;

 

182. Encourages States to participate in regional dialogues on problems of migration and invites them to consider negotiating bilateral and regional agreements on migrant workers and designing and implementing programmes with States of other regions to protect the rights of migrants;

 

183. Urges States, in consultation with civil society, to support or otherwise establish, as appropriate, regional, comprehensive dialogues on the causes and consequences of migration that focus not only on law enforcement and border control, but also on the promotion and protection of the human rights of migrants and on the relationship between migration and development;

 

184. Encourages international organizations having mandates dealing specifically with migration issues to exchange information and coordinate their activities on matters involving racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance against migrants, including migrant workers, with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;

 

185. Expresses its deep concern over the severity of humanitarian sufferings of affected civilian populations and the burden carried by many receiving countries, particularly developing countries and countries in transition, and requests the relevant international institutions to ensure that urgent adequate financial and humanitarian assistance is maintained for the host countries to enable them to help the victims, to address on an equitable basis, difficulties of populations expelled from their homes and calls for sufficient safeguards to enable refugees to exercise freely their right of return to their countries of origin voluntarily, in safety and dignity;

 

186. Encourages States to conclude bilateral, subregional, regional and international agreements to address the problem of trafficking in women and children, in particular girls, as well as the smuggling of migrants;

 

187. Calls upon States, to promote, as appropriate, exchanges at the regional and international levels among independent national institutions and as applicable other relevant independent bodies with a view to enhance cooperation to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

 

188. Urges States to support the activities of regional bodies/centres which combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance where they exist in their region, and recommends the establishment of such bodies where they do not exist/be considered in all regions. These bodies/centres may undertake the following activities, amongst others: assess and follow-up the situation of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and of individuals or groups which are victims thereof or subject to identify trends and issues/problems; collect, disseminate and exchange information/inter alia relevant to the outcome of regional conferences and the World Conference and build networks to these ends; highlight examples of good practice; organize awareness raising campaigns; develop proposals/solutions/preventive measures, where possible and appropriate, through joint efforts by coordinating with the United Nations, regional organizations and Member States and national human rights institutions;

 

189. Urges international organizations, within their mandates, to contribute to the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

 

190. Encourages financial and development institutions and the operational programmes and specialised agencies of the United Nations, in accordance with their regular budgets and the procedures of their governing bodies, to:

a)      Assign particular priority and allocate sufficient funding, within their areas of competence and budgets, to improve the situation of victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in order to combat manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and to include them in the development and implementation of projects concerning them,

b)      Integrate human rights principles and standards into their policies and programmes,

c)      Consider including in their regular reporting to their boards of governors information on their contribution to promote the participation of victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance within their programmes and activities, and information on the efforts taken to facilitate their participation and to ensure that these policies and practices contribute to the eradication of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance,

d)      Examine how their policies and practices affect victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and ensure that these policies and practices contribute to the eradication of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

191.

a)      Calls upon States to elaborate in consultation with national human rights institutions, other institutions created by law to combat racism, and civil society and to provide the High Commissioner for Human Rights with action plans and other relevant materials on the measures undertaken in order to implement provisions of the Declaration and the Programme of Action.

b)      In follow-up to the World Conference, the High Commissioner for Human Rights is requested to cooperate with five independent eminent experts, one from each region, appointed by the Secretary-General from among candidates proposed by the Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights, after consultation with the regional groups, to follow the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration and Programme of Action. An annual progress report on the implementation of these provisions will be presented by the High Commissioner to the Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly, taking into account information and views provided by States, relevant human rights treaty bodies, special procedures and other mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights of the United Nations, international, regional and non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions;

c)      Welcomes the intention of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish, within the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, an anti-discrimination unit to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and to promote equality and non-discrimination, and invites her to consider the inclusion into its mandate, inter alia, the compilation of information on racial discrimination and its development, on legal and administrative support and advice to victims of racial discrimination and the collection of background materials provided by States, international, regional and non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions under the follow-up mechanism of the World Conference;

d)      Recommends that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in co-operation with States, international, regional and non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions creates a database containing information on practical means to address racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, particularly international and regional instruments and national legislation, including anti-discrimination legislation, as well as legal means to combat racial discrimination; on remedies available through international mechanisms to victims of racial discrimination as well as national remedies; educational and preventive programmes implemented in various countries and regions; best practices to address racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; opportunities for technical cooperation; and academic studies and specialized documents, and assure that such a database is as accessible as possible to those in authority and the public at large, through its website and by other appropriate means;

 

192. Invites the United Nations and UNESCO to continue to organize high‑level and other meetings on the Dialogue among Civilizations and, with this purpose, to mobilize funds and promote partnerships;

 

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

 

193. Encourages the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue and expand the appointment and designation of goodwill ambassadors in all countries of the world in order to, inter alia, promote respect for human rights, a culture of tolerance and to increase the level of awareness about the scourge of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

 

194. Calls upon the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue its efforts to further increase awareness of the work of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and other United Nations human rights treaty bodies;

 

195. Invites the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, in consultation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and non‑governmental organizations active in the field of the promotion and protection of human rights, to undertake regular consultations with them and to encourage research activities aimed at collecting, maintaining and adapting the technical, scientific, educational and information materials produced by all cultures around the world to fight racism;

 

196. Requests the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to pay special attention to violations of the human rights of victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in particular migrants, including migrant workers, to promote international cooperation in combating xenophobia and, to this end, develop programmes which can be applied in countries on the basis of appropriate cooperation agreements;

 

197. Invites States to assist the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in developing and funding, upon the request of States, specific technical cooperation projects aimed at combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

 

198. The World Conference:

 (a) Invites the Commission on Human Rights to include into mandates of the Special Rapporteurs and working groups of the Commission on Human Rights, in particular the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, recommendations to consider the relevant provisions of the Declaration and the Programme of Action while exercising their mandates, in particular, reporting to the General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights and also to consider any other appropriate means to follow-up on the outcome on the World Conference.

 (b) Calls upon States to cooperate with the relevant special procedures of the Commission on Human Rights and other mechanisms of the United Nations in matters pertaining to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in particular with the special rapporteurs, independent experts and special representatives;

 

199. Recommends that the Commission on Human Rights prepare complementary international standards to strengthen and update international instruments against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in all their aspects;


Decades

200. Urges States and the international community to support the activities of the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination;

201. Recommends that the General Assembly consider declaring a United Nations year or decade against trafficking in persons, especially in women, youth and children in order to protect their dignity and human rights;

202. Urges States, in close cooperation with UNESCO,  to promote the implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace and the objectives of the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non‑Violence for the Children of the World to started in 2001 and invites UNESCO to contribute to these activities;

 

Indigenous peoples

 

203. Recommends that the United Nations Secretary- General conduct an evaluation of the results of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (1995-2004) and make recommendations concerning how to mark the end of this Decade, including an appropriate follow-up;

204. Requests States to ensure adequate funding for the establishment of an operational framework and a firm basis for the future development of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues within the United Nations system;

205. Urges States to cooperate with the work of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people and requests the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure that the Special Rapporteur is provided with all the necessary human, technical and financial resources to fulfil his/her responsibilities;

206. Calls upon States to conclude negotiations on and approve as soon as possible the text of the draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples, under discussion by the working group of the Commission on Human Rights to elaborate a draft declaration, in accordance with Commission resolution 1995/32;

207. Urges States, in the light of the relationship between racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and poverty, marginality and social exclusion of peoples and individuals at both the national and international levels, to enhance their policies and measures to reduce income and wealth inequalities and to take appropriate steps, individually and through international cooperation, to promote and protect economic, social and cultural rights on a non-discriminatory basis;

208. Urges States and international financial and development institutions to mitigate any negative effects of globalization by examining inter alia how their policies and practices affect national populations in general and indigenous peoples in particular; by ensuring that their policies and practices contribute to the eradication of racism through the participation of national populations and, in particular, indigenous peoples in development projects; by further democratizing international financial institutions; and by consulting with indigenous peoples on any matter that may affect their physical, spiritual or cultural integrity;

209. Invites financial and development institutions and the operational programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations, in accordance with their regular budgets and the procedures of their governing bodies:

(a)       To assign particular priority to and allocate sufficient funding, within their areas of competence, to the improvement of the status of indigenous peoples, with special attention to the needs of these populations in developing countries, including the preparation of specific programmes with a view to achieving the objectives of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People;

(b)      To carry out special projects, through appropriate channels and in collaboration with indigenous peoples, to support their initiatives at the community level and to facilitate the exchange of information and technical know‑how between indigenous peoples and experts in these areas;

Civil society

210. Calls upon States to strengthen cooperation, develop partnerships and consult regularly with non‑governmental organizations and all other sectors of the civil society to harness their experience and expertise thereby contributing to the development of legislation, policies and other governmental initiatives, as well as involving them more closely in the elaboration and implementation of policies and programmes designed to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

211. Urges leaders from religious communities to continue to confront racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance through, inter alia, promotion and sponsoring of dialogue and partnerships to bring about reconciliation and healing and harmony within and among societies, and invites the religious community to participate in promoting economic and social revitalization and encourages religious leaders to foster greater cooperation and contact between diverse racial groups;

212. Urges States to establish and strengthen effective partnerships with and provide support, as appropriate, to all relevant actors of civil society, including non-governmental organizations working to promote gender equality and advancement of women, particularly women subject to multiple discrimination, to promote an integrated and holistic approach to the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls;

Non-governmental organizations

213. Urges States to provide an open and conducive environment to enable non-governmental organizations to function freely and openly within their societies and thereby make an effective contribution to the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance throughout the world and promote a wider role for grass-roots organizations;

214. Calls upon States to explore means to expand the role of non-governmental organizations in society through, in particular, deepening the ties of solidarity amongst citizens, promoting greater trusts across racial and social class divides by promoting wider citizen involvement and more voluntary cooperation ;

 

The private sector

215. Urges States to take measures including, where appropriate, legislative measures, to ensure that transnational corporations and other foreign enterprises operating within their national territories conform to precepts and practices of non-racism and non-discrimination, and further encourages the business sector, including transnational corporations and foreign enterprises, to collaborate with trade unions and other relevant sectors of civil society to develop voluntary codes of conduct for all businesses, designed to prevent, address and eradicate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;

Youth

216. Urges States to encourage the full and active participation of, as well as involve more closely, youth in the elaboration, planning and implementation of activities to fight racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and calls upon States, in partnership with non-governmental organizations and other sectors of society, to facilitate both national and international youth dialogue on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, through the World Youth Forum of the United Nations system and through the use of new technologies, exchanges and other means;

217. Urges States to encourage and facilitate the establishment and maintenance of youth mechanisms, set up by youth organizations and young women and men themselves, in the spirit of combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, through such activities as, among others: disseminating and exchanging information and building networks to these ends; organizing awareness-raising campaigns and participating in multicultural education programmes; developing proposals/solutions where possible and appropriate; cooperating and consulting regularly with non-governmental organizations and other actors in civil society in developing initiatives and programmes that promote intercultural exchange and dialogue.

218. Urges States, in co-operation with intergovernmental organisations, the International Olympic Committee and International and Regional Sports Federations, to intensify the fight against racism in sport by, among other things, educating the youth of the world through sport practised without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires human understanding , tolerance, fair play and solidarity.

219. Recognizes that the success of this Programme of Action will require political will and adequate funding at the national, regional and international levels, and international cooperation.

 

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