A/HRC/31/81 28. It was also suggested that best practices should be developed for the protection of human rights of persons that faced discrimination on the grounds of their sexual orientation and gender identity. Delegates underlined that the primary objectives of international cooperation were to ensure the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms and to maintain peace through mutual respect, tolerance and recognition and acceptance of cultural and religious diversity. Combating racist political discourse, xenophobic acts, Islamophobia, hate speech and incitement to hatred were crucial in achieving those objectives. International cooperation should seek to address multiple and intersecting forms of injustices and inequalities, including those related to sex, gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion and ability. 3. Enhancement of international cooperation in the field of the universal periodic review and capacity-building 29. Delegates stressed the importance of international cooperation through exchanges of experiences, the sharing of best practices, mutual assistance and South-South cooperation. Technical cooperation and capacity-building in particular were considered to be key instruments in achieving sustainable development. Good coordination among United Nations bodies was considered essential in responding to national needs to address implementation challenges and capacity-building efforts, guided by international norms and standards. Efforts to strengthen the collective capacity to protect human rights should be based on the principles of neutrality and non-selectivity, with a view to promoting a culture of solidarity. 30. Participants also recognized the importance of the universal periodic review mechanism, as it contributed to genuine dialogue and continuously reinforced its own significance in enhancing international cooperation. The representative of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights added that national human rights institutions were bound by the commitment to human rights, enabling them to cooperate among themselves and with other stakeholders to overcome political differences. To strengthen respect for human rights, the International Coordinating Committee pledged to continue supporting cooperation across all regions and looked forward to working together with relevant stakeholders. D. Concluding remarks of panellists 31. In their concluding remarks, the panellists stressed the need for the international community to cooperate in ensuring that developing countries were able to achieve their development goals, while mainstreaming human rights. Mr. Khor recalled the need to address obstacles to development goals both at the national and international levels. To that effect, developing countries needed aid, debt relief and trade preferences. At the same time, those countries had to prioritize and implement national policies that were consistent with the right to development. 32. Mr. Somavía noted that, while opinions differed, it was essential for statespersons to be honest, understanding and solution-oriented. International development mechanisms should apply equally to all States and be established without conditionality. 33. Ms. Hetle welcomed interventions from States renewing their commitment to the goals of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. She underlined the importance of fully implementing the commitments that had been made and stressed that words had to be turned into actions. 8