A/HRC/31/63 international norms into national legislation, policies, programmes and practices that are effective and adapted to national circumstances. D. 1. Increase awareness and understanding of the condition of persons with albinism Awareness-raising 61. In line with her mandate, the Independent Expert will raise awareness on the rights of persons with albinism in order to combat stereotypes, prejudices and harmful traditional practices and beliefs that hinder their enjoyment of human rights and participation in society on an equal basis with others. To that end, she will promote positive change in social perceptions about persons with albinism through the dissemination of general knowledge about and understanding of albinism in society at large, including from a scientific perspective. Such awareness-raising will contribute to fighting myths and stereotypes about persons with albinism, particularly those that fuel stigma, discrimination and attacks. 62. Recognizing the limited capacity of most civil society groups representing persons with albinism, the Independent Expert wishes to work with them in order to increase their knowledge of national and international avenues for addressing the obstacles faced by persons with albinism in fully enjoying their human rights. 2. Research and data collection 63. Statistics and disaggregated data on albinism remain difficult to find, particularly in areas were the worst human rights violations against persons with albinism occur. In order to move towards policy changes, data collection, both qualitative and quantitative, and comparative analyses are fundamental in order to fully understand the current situation of persons with albinism. 64. In addition, the difficulty in accessing reliable data on cases of killings of and attacks against persons with albinism also hinders efforts to fight those horrendous human rights violations. Such data should include information on the number of cases registered, investigations, prosecutions and administrative and judicial decisions. 65. Similarly, understanding the root causes of attacks against persons with albinism is necessary in order to design strategies to address discrimination and attacks and to identify adequate prevention measures. The secrecy surrounding witchcraft practices and the underground nature of the market associated with the trafficking in body parts of persons with albinism make it difficult to find evidence. Understanding the phenomena and their implications would therefore be one of the priorities of the Independent Expert. VI. Conclusions 66. The Independent Expert views the creation of the mandate as a significant expression of the collective will to end attacks against persons with albinism and to find their root causes in order to establish measures to prevent the occurrence of attacks. As stated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “There is no room in this 21st century for erroneous and harmful beliefs, or for 15