A/HRC/18/44 28. It is imperative that political leaders avoid playing the game of populism to gain votes and take all the measures necessary to deal adequately with certain social and economic issues, such as immigration, unemployment and insecurity, in particular in the current period of economic crisis and sometimes the discontent with and mistrust of the population in traditional political parties. As emphasized by the Special Rapporteur in his previous report (A/HRC/15/45, para. 30), political leaders and parties should provide answers to the populist and oversimplified statements of extremist political parties, movements and groups through reasoned argument, especially on the issues posed by immigration, insecurity and unemployment. 29. In the above context, the Special Rapporteur would like to recall that any measures to counter extremist political parties, movements and groups have to be taken in accordance with international human rights law and in a manner that upholds democratic principles. The Special Rapporteur is concerned about reports indicating that, in some cases, the law on extremism has been used to deprive political opponents of democratic legitimacy by labelling them as extremist and to unduly limit freedom of expression, including of the media. He recalls that States must ensure that all individuals and groups of individuals enjoy fully their rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association as enshrined in articles 19, 21 and 22 respectively of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Special Rapporteur further reiterates that, in any democratic society, individuals must be able to challenge the system in place and propose ideas for change. Indeed, the free expression of the will of the people must be respected. All individuals, regardless of their ideas, including those deemed radical, should be guaranteed without discrimination the right to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through chosen representatives, and to vote or to be elected at genuine elections. 30. Some stakeholders also provided information about the increased use of the Internet by individuals and groups of individuals closely linked to extremist movements to disseminate racist ideas. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur would like to express his concern about the use of the Internet to propagate racism, xenophobia, racial discrimination and related intolerance. In accordance with the provisions of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the outcome document of the Durban Review Conference, the Special Rapporteur encourages States to use the opportunities provided by new technologies, including the Internet, to counter the dissemination of ideas based on racial superiority or hatred. Furthermore, he reiterates that determining which acts or expressions may meet the thresholds determined in articles 19 to 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and in article 4 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination, is ultimately a decision that is best made after a thorough assessment of the individual circumstances of each case. This decision should always be guided by well-defined criteria, in accordance with international standards, and be made by an independent and impartial court or tribunal, taking into account the local conditions, history, culture and political context. IV. Conclusions and recommendations 31. The Special Rapporteur takes note of the efforts made by States to counter extremist political parties, movements and groups, including neo-Nazis and skinhead groups, and similar extremist ideological movements. However, while good practices have been identified, important challenges remain that require greater efforts and increased vigilance from States. Indeed, extremist political parties, movements and groups continue to pose major challenges, especially with regard to the protection of vulnerable groups of individuals against racist and xenophobic crimes, and the protection and consolidation of democracy and human rights in general. It is crucial that a comprehensive approach based on a solid legal framework that also includes key complementary measures be developed and that it be implemented in an 9