A/HRC/42/27 37. One delegate mentioned that building society on the basis of pluralism and social integration, including strengthening school programmes and laws, was crucial to consolidating democracy, because the values of liberty and democracy could not survive in societies where human rights were ignored, or in societies where supremacist ideologies or hate discourse were spreading. 38. Another delegate noted that strong democratic institutions, which rested on a solid value base, helped democracies to handle cases of discrimination. Democracy started with a targeted policy condemning racial discrimination, prohibiting it and harnessing law enforcement authorities to combat it. 39. Another delegate emphasized the potential contribution of global citizenship and noted that people should be empowered to understand and promote common values such as human dignity, human rights, the rule of law and tolerance. 40. One representative of an NGO noted that non-white individuals and non-Christians still had to prove they were good citizens. They should behave in a certain way, dress in a certain way and have a certain political ideology in order to be recognized as citizens or deserving of State amenities. If they did not conform, they were stigmatized and stereotyped and, in extreme cases, denied citizenship and equal rights. Rising populism politics based on religion, national identity and racial identity had alienated many racial, national and religious minorities in dire situations. 41. Another representative of an NGO reiterated the importance of the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and welcomed the request by the General Assembly to the Human Rights Council to develop and adopt a multi-year outreach programme for public information and mobilization in support of the Declaration and Programme of Action. V. Conclusions 42. Democracy and transparent, responsible, accountable and participatory governance based on the recognition of, respect for and promotion of cultural, ethnic and religious diversity, and respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, are essential for the effective prevention and elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. 43. Acts of racial violence, incitement to racial hatred or discrimination, inter alia by the dissemination of ideas based on racial or ethnic superiority or hatred, do not constitute legitimate expressions of opinion but rather unlawful acts or offences. When government officials and public authorities engage in such acts or condone crimes motivated by racist and xenophobic attitudes with any form of impunity, they undermine the principle of non-discrimination and endanger democracy, encouraging the recurrence of such acts. 44. The rise in many parts of the world of various extremist ideologies, political parties, movements and groups, including neo-Nazis and skinhead groups and racist extremist movements, is a major concern. 45. Support for monitoring activities addressing contemporary forms of racism is needed and States are encouraged to elaborate and improve the mechanisms of collecting disaggregated data with a view to identifying the root causes of racial extremism and consequently better developing relevant policies and programmes. Sharing such data and even creating a databank of good practices would help in countering emerging forms of racism. 46. Anti-discrimination laws should be complemented by relevant measures to promote the values of diversity, tolerance and racial equality in the population. To that end, it is important to encourage education systems to teach human rights values and a culture of peace. 7