A/HRC/31/74 population of Norway as a minority group; further information about the experiences of Norway with regard to hate speech on the internet and hate crimes; and the text of laws and procedures to assist prosecutions; and lessons learned regarding the attacks in Utoya in 2011. 28. The Norwegian representative explained that the term “Finnish” did not refer to their nationality but rather to culture and language, and that while Finns had been settling in Norway for a long period of time and are Norwegian citizens, they did face discrimination. 29. The Norwegian representative noted that the focus was on prevention concerning hate speech on the Internet and that approach would be strengthened. Currently, hate speech on the internet, criminal monitoring by the police, digital monitoring by the police, education for children regarding online activities, and increased training for police trainees was taking place. It was also important to educate people, about hate crimes with the goal of easier reporting of hate crimes. The representative explained that following the terrorist attack at Utoya in 2011, Norwegian response was towards more openness as it decided not to become a “closed society” due to this attack. There was a year of national reflection and discussion and the legal process, triggered a national open discussion about the how this could have occurred. 30. The European Union inquired about the engagement of Norway with civil society during the CERD reporting process. While not completely aware of what had been done to reach to civil society during the CERD process, the representative stated that the UPR process played a prominent role in that regard and presented a good platform for discussion, and ultimately enriching the various treaty body discussions. 31. The United States also presented on its CERD reporting experience, sharing three best practises and three challenges during the 3rd meeting. One best practice was a broad interagency approach to reporting and presentation, under the leadership of the White House (Office of the President). Second, in addition to the federal government, state and local officials were included in the United States delegation. This approach was effective and appreciated by the Committee. Third, consultations with civil society are important part of treaty body presentations. These included a civil society consultation in Geneva the day before the presentation, with about 80 civil society representatives. This consultation enabled civil society to pose questions to the Government officials, and involved detailed and at times emotional exchanges which had improved the delegation’s preparation. 32. The representative presented three challenges faced by the United States regarding CERD reporting. The first challenge is how to increase public awareness of the treaty body system and reporting process. He welcomed hearing about experiences from other delegations. Second, keeping reports within the strict page limits presented a challenge, while responding to numerous issues raised by the CERD. Third, during the actual CERD presentation the time management was not ideal, leaving the delegation limited time to respond and brief the CERD. 33. The representative also raised a point for discussion about how to strike a balance between the value of a large delegation and the limited speaking time. He explained that the United States delegation was fairly large, and was fairly representative of the country, as African-Americans, women, indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, LGBT persons and others have participated in treaty body presentations, and that broad spectrum of delegates’ experiences improved the quality and the richness of the presentation. He particularly noted that its most recent delegation included the Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama William A. Bell, who experienced racial discrimination during the civil rights era, and Loretta Lynch, who shortly afterward became the Attorney General of the United States. He added as another best practice the willingness of the United States to acknowledge and discuss its past and its shortcomings. 26