A/HRC/42/59/Add.1 Lack of representation 43. The Working Group notes with deep concern the lack of representation of people of African descent in the judiciary, law enforcement, government service, the correctional service, the federal and regional parliaments and municipal councils. These institutions do not reflect the diversity of the Belgian population. When the Working Group visited Belgium in 2005, the Federal Police highlighted a robust recruitment programme to promote diversity. Although the programme was presented as a serious commitment, no data are available to establish what improvements, if any, have been made over the past 14 years and whether the programme has been successful. 44. Civil society representatives and community members commented on the lack of positive role models in the news media, on billboards and in Belgian television and film. The French Community referenced best practices involving a barometer of the print media, aimed at measuring equality and diversity among journalists and in news content, and the creation of an expert panel to broaden representation. 45. The Working Group was informed of a lack of representation of people of African descent in cultural institutions, universities and research centres and public bodies, and heard suggestions that quotas should be introduced. Another concern was the inability to promote artists of African descent because of the absence of any cultural centre dedicated to communities of African descent in Belgium and of any publishing house to facilitate the emergence of Afrodescendent authors and directors. Racist hate speech and crimes, xenophobic discourse and harmful stereotypes 46. The Working Group is concerned about the rise of populist nationalism, racist hate speech and xenophobic discourse as a political tool, and reiterates the concerns raised by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 2014 that the Government of Belgium had yet to adopt legislation declaring organizations which promote and incite racial discrimination illegal, in conformity with article 4 (b) of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD/C/BEL/CO/16-19, para. 9). 47. The use of blackface, racialized caricatures and racist representations of people of African descent is offensive, dehumanizing and contemptuous. Regrettably, the republication of Tintin in the Congo, unedited and without contextualization, perpetuates negative stereotypes and the book should be either withdrawn or contextualized with an addendum reflecting current commitments to anti-racism. Stereotypes of people of African descent that are rooted in enslavement, colonization and neocolonialism characterize the harmful image conveyed by the media. Such images are accompanied by a devaluation of African people – a devaluation of that which is African. Racist insults and other clichés accentuate the phenomenon. 48. The following incidents occurred in 2018. Cécile Djunga, a weather presenter of African descent with Radio-Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française, posted an online video, saying that she had endured racist comments regularly since she joined the station a year previously, including comments that she was “too black and all people could see were her clothes”. The video became the subject of national debate, with calls for action in the media and promises by the broadcaster of greater diversity among its presenters. Two women of African descent were harassed and subjected to racist chants including “Handjes kappen, de Congo is van ons” (“Chop off their hands, the Congo is ours”) by a group of young white men at the Pukkelpop music festival. There was also an incident of racist aggression against a man of African descent at Aarschot station. 49. The Working Group was informed about how racism and racial discrimination against people of African descent continues to be a serious concern. Almost 80 per cent of respondents to the King Baudouin Foundation study had experienced discrimination, unequal treatment or racial abuse. This affects many different areas of life: employment, housing, public spaces and contact with institutions. More than 7 out of 10 respondents considered the colonial question to be taboo in Belgian public debate, and 9 out of 10 thought that colonial history should be taught in schools. The Working Group supports this view and recommends a further study of the situation to evaluate the impact of the colonial 11