A/HRC/42/27 meant encouraging civil society and local communities to engage and speak up. Combating hatred required a societal shift, education and the promotion of intercultural exchanges. 22. One delegate, speaking on behalf of a group of States, recalled that article 4 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination called on all States parties to punish incitement to hatred and racial discrimination, prohibit racist organizations and condemn hateful messages by public authorities. The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action stated that political platforms and organizations based on racism and xenophobia were incompatible with democracy and accountable governance. The OHCHR report of 2012 on the incompatibility between democracy and racism emphasized the challenges posed to democratic values by extremist political parties, movements and groups. He called on all countries to contribute to the effective fulfilment of the mandates of all the Durban follow-up mechanisms. 23. Another delegate, speaking on behalf of a group of States, stated that one of the most important modern challenges was to ensure the right balance between the exercise of the freedom of expression and the need to prevent and, where necessary, punish hate speech on virtual platforms. In that respect, the delegate noted that the group of States valued the exchange of good practices and the promotion of tolerance of and respect for pluralist and integrated societies. 24. Another delegate, also speaking on behalf of a group of States, expressed concern about the rise of extremist political parties, leaders and media groups and noted that racism existed in many forms and had led to many terrorist attacks, including anti-Muslim terrorism. He noted that this phenomenon must be tackled by an institutional United Nations response. In that regard, it was important to reiterate that the relevant United Nations mechanisms must be broadened and so must the scope of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida, and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities, by including in it individuals and entities associated with anti-Muslim racist extremist groups, with a view to effectively responding to the evolving threat of terrorism. 25. There was general agreement among delegates on the necessity of tackling the main challenges to pluralism and democracy by addressing the root causes of intolerance and discrimination. The proper response to racial discrimination, hate speech and other forms of intolerance was the promotion of tolerance, inclusion, unity and respect for diversity by individuals, civil society organizations, enterprises, the media, politicians and political parties and the international community. 26. One delegate noted that in order to promote tolerance and mutual respect, the right to freedom of speech or expression should be exercised responsibly and that right could not encompass expressions or actions that defamed or ridiculed others. He strongly condemned all acts and expressions or dissemination of ideas that promoted racism, racial discrimination, hatred and other forms of intolerance. 27. Several delegates noted that it was critical to support countries in promoting a culture whereby societies were mindful of the principles of tolerance and openness. Those values of acceptance of others in all their diversity and the promotion of tolerance on the basis of a participatory approach between the political sphere, civil society and independent human rights institutions should be included in school curricula. Delegates stressed that freedom of expression was the cornerstone of democracy and should not be used to disseminate hatred. 28. Many delegates began their statements by condemning the terrorist attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, and expressing their condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims. They stated that once again it had been shown that even consolidated democracies were not immune from the blind terrorism of fanatics and that hatred towards those who thought or believed differently seemed to be deeply entrenched in all societies. 29. One delegate noted that the fight against racism and racial discrimination was a way to strengthen democracy. Misinformation about minorities and migrants was harmful and could fuel incitement to racial hatred and racial profiling. It was crucial to adopt effective and appropriate measures, including legal measures, to combat all acts of racism, in 5