A/HRC/25/69 maintaining a constructive atmosphere, and helping the Committee to find common ground on the way forward. 78. Switzerland, on behalf of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Japan, Mexico and Uruguay, thanked the Chairperson-Rapporteur for the able and fair manner in which the session had been guided, noting its satisfaction with the topics proposed for discussion at the sixth session. It also welcomed a future discussion within the Committee on the duration of its sessions, in order to reach an agreement and issue a consensual recommendation to the Council. 79. Pakistan, on behalf of OIC, conveyed its appreciation to the Chairperson-Rapporteur for his leadership role over the previous two weeks. It reiterated the position of OIC, pointing out that the elaboration of complementary standards would further strengthen the international regulatory framework in addressing such incidents and that the issue of procedural gaps should continue to be discussed during further deliberations. OIC believed that it was not possible to move forward on national mechanisms without elaborating norms. As agreed at the Durban Review Conference, religious intolerance was a contemporary form of racism and the Ad Hoc Committee should continue to discuss the topic. It was the intention of OIC that the topic of “Advocacy and incitement to racial, ethnic, national and religious hatred” as agreed at the third session of the Ad Hoc Committee, should be discussed at the Committee’s sixth session. However, to maintain consensus, it had agreed to the two new topics. With regard to the three old topics, equal time should be attributed to them, as they were relevant and should be accorded equal attention. 80. Cuba thanked all delegations for their efforts, stating that drafting complementary standards was becoming increasingly important and that the Committee had identified areas and gaps in the current and previous sessions. In many countries, there was increased manifestation of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. It cited recent topics of racial profiling and institutionalized racism, which could not be ignored, and the continuing need to eradicate those scourges showed the importance of the work of the Ad Hoc Committee. It agreed with the need for an improved rate of response to the questionnaire and noted that, along with the five topics to be considered at the sixth session, it would have also welcomed a discussion on the role of the media. With regard to the duration of the session, it stated that 10 days were required to discuss the important issues before the Committee. 81. Algeria also made a general statement in which it expressed support for the statement made by Pakistan on behalf of OIC. It thanked the Chairperson-Rapporteur for his efficiency in guiding the work of the Committee by shedding new light on the substance and constructive engagement of all delegations. It was pleased that consensus had emerged on the new topics for the sixth session and hoped that it would continue in future meetings. The issue of the duration of the sessions of the Ad Hoc Committee was secondary to the primary issue of the substantive work of the Committee. 82. South Africa reiterated that, at the beginning of the session, Gabon had made a statement on behalf of the African Group, stating that the African Group position was that the mandate of the Ad Hoc Committee was to elaborate complementary standards to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination with a view to addressing gaps on contemporary manifestations of racial discrimination in the Convention. It stated that the point had been reiterated by delegations of the African Group and other delegations during the session. The African Group had made a call to all to be constructive during the session and expressed a sincere appreciation that this had indeed taken place and hoped that the same positive spirit would continue in future sessions. The African Group supported the recirculation of the questionnaire and was pleased that agreement had been reached on the two new topics for discussion for the benefit of victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. 18