A/HRC/31/74 addressing online racism. She stated that she was aware of the tension between prohibitions and the freedom of speech, and noted that there was inequality at the various levels involved. 128. The representative of Ghana stated that the sisters - Venus and Serena Williams should not be left alone to fight issues of racism in the sport of tennis. He then questioned if governments are working steadfastly to mitigate the effect of racism on athletes. The expert responded that governments could do more to assist athletes in their fight against racism. She posited that sport was not separate from society and therefore governments had to address this issue. Additionally, an increased number of media voices combating racism in sport could have a positive impact. 129. The representative of Cuba thanked the presenters for the diverse examples of discrimination in sport they had illustrated. She asked if the experts had cooperated with United Nations Office of Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP)and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)., and also asked if the Committee could work on racial discrimination of women in sport — in order to connect initiatives and questioned whether there was a database on those issues relating to sport. Ms. Douglas responded that her research drew from United Nations reports in a number of cases, but had not as yet had the opportunity to collaborate with UNOSDP or CEDAW on these issues. 130. At this meeting, Benjamin Cohen, Head of Governance of Legal Affairs for the International Basketball Association (FIBA), also presented on the issues of racism in sport. He stated that he considered sport as one of the most powerful tools to fight racism. In his view, athletes regularly did not care about race, but were more concerned about their team and the sport. It was important for sports federations and the United Nations to promote the positive side of sport in order to combat racism by promoting unity. He outlined the work of FIBA and its regulatory structure as relates to issues of anti-discrimination. 131. Mr. Cohen mentioned that players regularly encountered racial problems. The expert used the example of Switzerland, stating that although there were Swiss laws against racism in existence, they are not regularly implemented. The expert posited that this lack of implementation was not as large of a problem in a sport stadium. The expert explained that the foremost problem with racism in sport were sport fans that abused sports for their discriminatory messaging. The expert then referred to the pertinent legal framework, in particular the Olympic Charter, which forbids discrimination on all grounds. He described the Comprehensive Code of Ethics prohibiting discrimination instituted by FIBA, adding that in his view this legal framework was sufficient to deal with any discriminatory behaviour in basketball stadiums. 132. The expert stated there had been very few incidents of racism in FIBA. He added that without cooperation between States and sport federations all sanctions were toothless. 133. Mr. Cohen then explained FIBA’s position concerning its rule on the ban on head scarves and other garments during FIBA play. He stated that FIBA rules needed to apply in more than 200 countries, and that reaching uniformity was an on-going challenge. He explained that, absent this rule, there was no limit on what players could wear during a match. He stated that discrimination was also present in some country’s which did not invest in the training of girls, or allow men or male coaches at the games. Therefore, there could be claims of discrimination directed against FIBA, while discrimination was being practised by the complaining country. The expert suggested that the United Nations could provide direction to sporting associations regarding best practices in difficult areas surrounding racism. 134. Mr. Cohen replied that in his view racism was not the top priority of sports organisations, though it was an important issue. He stated that nearly all organisations have 43