A/HRC/4/WG.3/6 page 11 economic, social and cultural rights is a mandatory and immediate obligation of States parties. Similarly to all human rights, equality of rights imposes three levels of obligations on States parties - “the obligation to respect, to protect and to fulfil”.12 27. According to CESCR, the obligation to fulfil requires States parties to take steps to ensure that in practice, men and women enjoy their economic, social and cultural rights on a basis of equality.13 The obligation to respect requires States parties to refrain from discriminatory actions that directly or indirectly result in the denial of the equal right of men and women to their enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights.14 The obligation to protect requires States parties to take steps aimed directly at the elimination of prejudices, customary and all other practices that perpetuate the notion of inferiority or superiority of either of the sexes, and stereotyped roles for men and women.15 28. The experts believe that progress in ensuring protection against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance is hampered by the lack at present of legally binding norms which impose on States the obligation to introduce mandatory human rights education in their educational systems. Further, the provisions which require that States adopt anti-discrimination legislation are often too general and abstract, leaving States without guidance as to minimum legal standards to be met in their domestic laws, in the absence of which protection against racial discrimination may be rendered illusory. Assessment and recommendations 1. The role of human rights education 29. The DDPA underlines the importance of human rights education as a key to changing attitudes and behaviour and to promoting tolerance and respect for diversity in societies16 and, therefore as crucial in the struggle against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.17 The importance of human rights education is also underlined in several other human rights documents. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action assert that “human rights education, training and public information are essential for the promotion and achievement of stable and harmonious relations among communities and for fostering mutual understanding, 12 Paragraph 17. 13 Ibid., para. 21. 14 Ibid., para 18. 15 Ibid., para. 19. 16 Para. 95 of the Declaration. 17 See para. 97 of the Declaration; and paras. 125-139 of the Programme of Action.