A/HRC/9/12 page 20 provisions. In particular, both Special Rapporteurs had encouraged the Human Rights Committee to consider the possibility of adopting complementary standards on the interrelations between freedom of expression, freedom of religion and non-discrimination, in particular in the form of a general comment on article 20. 67. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Human Rights Council invite Member States to promote the dialogue between cultures, civilizations and religions having regard to: (a) The need to accord equal treatment to combating defamation of religions in all its forms so as to avoid establishing any hierarchy in the different manifestations of discrimination, even if they may vary in nature and degree depending on historical, geographical and cultural context; (b) The deep historical and cultural roots of all forms of defamation of religions and the corresponding need to combine legal measures with an intellectual, cultural and ethical approach that takes account of the processes, mechanisms and representations at the origin of these manifestations of discrimination over time; (c) The essential link between the different spiritual, historical and cultural forms of religious discrimination and the universal nature of their underlying causes; (d) The need to create conditions conducive to encounter, dialogue and interaction in order to further social harmony, peace, respect for human rights and development and to combat all forms of racism, xenophobia and discrimination as they relate to all religions and spiritual traditions; (e) The need to be vigilant in maintaining a balance between the defence of secularism and respect for religious freedom. Governments should pay particular attention to safeguarding and protecting the places of worship and culture of all religions and to furthering the free expression of their religious and spiritual beliefs. 68. The Special Rapporteur strongly recommends that the practice of intercultural and interreligious dialogue should begin at the national level through the promotion of mutual knowledge and joint action on the major social challenges and the furtherance and observance of human rights. Efforts to promote cultural and religious pluralism within each country are a necessary and meaningful first step towards promoting the dialogue among cultures and religions at the international level. 69. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Human Rights Council invite Member States to promote critical introspection of an historical and theological nature in order to recognize and discover solutions to the intra-religious conflicts that fuel the reciprocal defamation of religions. -----