A/HRC/25/69 envisaged when ICERD came into existence in 1969, and therefore it was essential to address issues, and hence it expressed its support for complementary standards. 33.. Mr. Powar responded to the queries stating that gender-based discrimination was indeed prevalent in sports and that the culture around mass spectator sport engendered multiple forms of discrimination and intersectionality. He also referred to the ongoing cooperation between OHCHR, FIFA, UEFA and other sports related organizations to tackle the issue of racism in football. In terms of mechanisms of cooperation with local authorities, Mr. Powar stated that preventative measures aimed at enforcing and strengthening the ability of governing bodies to regulate and combat racism in sport was the key. 35. The Chairperson-Rapporteur thanked the speaker for his presentation and also spoke about the South African experience on sports as a uniting element as evidenced in its nation building process and including the successful holding of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010. He then invited general statements from the participants on the topic of xenophobia. C. Expert presentations and initial discussion on the topic of “Establishment, designation or maintaining of national mechanisms with competences to protect against and prevent all forms and manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” 36. During the 8th meeting, on 26 July, Mr. Michel Forst, Secretary General of the French National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH) focused his presentation on three main areas: i) the Commission and its role in the fight against racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia; ii) the French National Action Plan against Racism; and, iii) some observations and ideas on the work of the Ad Hoc Committee. 37. He stated the Commission was created in 1946 it was again accredited in 2013 by the International Coordinating Committee of national human rights institutions in conformity with the Paris Principles. Its functions, composition and operation have been clarified and extended by a law passed in March 2007. The CNCDH has a broad mandate on all matters relating to human rights and international humanitarian law. It monitors and proposes initiatives for follow up; undertakes quantitative and qualitative research and survey; and it provides advice and also has a reporting obligation. 38. He informed that the Commission is preparing the 25th annual report for 2013 on racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia. Mr. Forst explained that the title of the report clearly distinguished racism and anti-Semitism, as whereas anti-Semitism is a special form of racism, to which particular attention should be paid. Xenophobia is also a specific phenomenon, which is often racist in nature. 39. Mr. Forst noted that data provided by the Ministry of the Interior on the acts and threats of a racist, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim character mark, once aggregated, a sharp increase. For 2012, the sum of acts and threats of a racist, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim character totaled 1,539, representing an increase of 23%. A detailed look at the figures revealed that the anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim increased by the greatest number: antiSemitic acts and threats reached 58% and anti-Muslim acts and threats increased by 30%, confirming the upward trend recorded in 2011. He also pointed out that for the third consecutive year the survey indicated a growing intolerance in France. While the early 2000s was marked by a continuous movement toward greater tolerance, since 2010 there has been an increase of racism and intolerance, which was particularly worrying. Furthermore, 94% of the respondents also believed that it is essential that foreigners who come to live in France adopt the habits of French life. Problems with integration are also 27