A/HRC/31/75 D. Adoption of the agenda and programme of work 8. After the election of the Chair, the Working Group adopted the agenda and programme of work for its thirteenth session. E. Statements 9. The representative of Brazil noted that the work carried out by the Working Group was of great importance. The full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action by all States was fundamental for the prevention and elimination of racism and racial discrimination in all regions. In Brazil, the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action had inspired legislation, plans of actions and public policies on the promotion of racial equality. The representative welcomed the three key issues that would be discussed in the session: (a) the implementation of the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent; (b) the preparations for the commemoration of the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; and (c) racism and poverty. The representative also reiterated the support of Brazil for the International Decade and for the implementation of the programme of activities, and emphasized the importance of the decision to establish a forum on people of African descent. The representative informed the Working Group that on 3 and 4 December 2015, Brazil would host, in Brasilia, the Regional Meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean on the International Decade for People of African Descent. The representative of Brazil invited all delegations to assess both the progress that was achieved in fighting racism and racial discrimination and the important challenges that still remained. 10. The representative of the European Union said that they had entered the session with a sincere and constructive approach, hoping that all partner countries would join in showing a similar constructive spirit to strengthen the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, as that was the stated objective of the Working Group. They were also pleased with the three topics chosen for the session, which would allow the Working Group to take stock of progress in the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent and discuss activities marking the fifteenth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. The representative added that the European Union was particularly pleased to discuss the issue of racism and poverty, which was highly relevant in relation to the new Sustainable Development Goals, which were recently adopted in New York, which could bring real progress in putting an end to discrimination on any grounds and help to further protect and promote human rights for all. The representative stressed that priority should be given to the effective implementation of existing international human rights law, in particular the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, given that its full implementation remained a challenge for many countries. 11. The representative of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) stated that racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance negated the core human rights principles of equality, non-discrimination, human dignity and cultural and religious diversity. In recent years, there had been an alarming increase in incidents of new and contemporary forms of racism, manifested in the form of religious intolerance, racial profiling, xenophobic acts, negative stereotyping and stigmatization, hate speech and incitement to racial and religious hatred. Therefore, it was vital to counter these scourges through the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the outcome document of the Durban Review Conference. The representative recalled that the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and 4