A/HRC/4/WG.3/6 page 5 Introduction Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that: “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” Establishment of the Group of experts 1. The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) adopted in 2001 at the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance considered the need to expand the human rights normative framework to appropriately cover manifestations of racism and xenophobia. In this context, the DDPA recommended “that the Commission on Human Rights prepare complementary international standards to strengthen and update international instruments against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in all their aspects.”1 In its resolution 2002/68 the Commission entrusted this task to the Intergovernmental Working Group on the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (Intergovernmental Working Group). 2. The Intergovernmental Working Group at its fourth session held a high level seminar on complementary international standards which further informed the Group as to areas where there may be a need for complementary standards. It is in this context that the Intergovernmental Working Group requested the Human Rights Council to establish a group of experts to prepare a base document that would contain concrete recommendations on the means or avenues to bridge gaps in the existing international instruments to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; and for the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) to prepare a base document on the procedural aspects of the issue. Both documents are to be submitted to the fifth session of the Working Group.2 3. Following the request of the Intergovernmental Working Group, the Human Rights Council (HRC) in its resolution 1/5 adopted on 30 June 2006 decided to establish the group of experts. To that end, the resolution recommended that the Group of experts carry out consultations with human rights treaty bodies, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and other relevant mandate-holders. 4. Consistent with resolution 1/5, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in consultation with the regional groups, invited the following experts to conduct the study: Mr. Syafi’i Anwar (Indonesia, Group of Asian States), Ms. Jenny Goldschmidt (the Netherlands, 1 2 Paragraph 199 of the Durban Programme of Action. See fourth report of the Working Group E/CN.4/2006/18 and Commission on Human Rights resolution 2005/64.