A/HRC/16/20 B. 1. Countering discrimination, in particular racial discrimination, discrimination on the grounds of sex, religion and against others who are marginalized Racial discrimination 29. In order to help States fulfil their commitments under the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), the Outcome Document of the Durban Review Conference and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, my Office provided technical assistance in the elaboration of national action plans against racial discrimination in Bolivia and Uruguay. OHCHR also organized seminars in Costa Rica and Benin to exchange good practices on national action plans against racial discrimination. Regional workshops, including most recently in Ethiopia, have been held for Governments, NHRIs and civil society on development and implementation of national action plans against racial discrimination. To further assist States, OHCHR will develop a technical guidance note for the development of national action plans. 30. OHCHR has also pursued thematic work on challenging issues such as data collection and the promotion of racial equality and structural discrimination. OHCHR organized a regional seminar for Latin American and Caribbean countries on data collection and the use of indicators to promote and monitor racial equality and nondiscrimination, with the collaboration of the Government of Brazil. 31. OHCHR supported the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent and the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the DDPA in organizing thematic discussions on combating structural discrimination. It adopted conclusions and recommendations on the issues of migration, protection of children, employment, on the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the DDPA and national action plans. During its last session, the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent discussed a programme of activities in the context of the International Year for People of African Descent, which was launched by the Secretary General on the 2010 Human Rights Day. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is to hold a day of general discussion on people of African descent during its seventy-eighth session in February-March 2011. 32. As part of the global information campaign Embrace Diversity, End Discrimination on Human Rights Day, events were organized. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination focused on the theme of racism in sports and an opinion piece entitled “Racism and the football World Cup” attracted specific attention. 2. Indigenous and minority issues 33. The Office continued to deploy strong efforts to promote and protect the rights of minorities through sustained engagement with relevant partners, guided by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. For example, in Lebanon OHCHR organized its third regional consultation to gather information about effective practices in policing and minority communities. My Office also delivered a training workshop on minority rights for our staff in the region to help strengthen strategies to better promote minority rights. 34. OHCHR continued to support the Forum on Minority Issues. My Office helped organize, in partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, an international conference on the representation of minorities and indigenous peoples in Parliaments, held in November in Mexico. 8

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