E/CN.4/2006/16/Add.3 page 6 eradicate it. The President recognized that the law is not sufficient, assessed the resistance and obstacles to any meaningful change and pointed to the challenge of deeply transforming the current mentalities. In this context, the law on the teaching of African history in primary school was adopted. In the last few years, institutions and programmes specifically in charge of combating racial discrimination were established, including an affirmative action programme in universities and the establishment in 2003 of the Special Secretariat for the Promotion of Racial Equality (SEPPIR). The President admitted that very much still remains to be done. 11. The Minister of SEPPIR indicated that even if it is often veiled, racism is present in society and institutions. Its main manifestation is discrimination in the field of employment, where few Blacks work in private and public institutions at high-level positions. The same happens in political parties, teaching, hospitals, as well as leisure. Also, the representation of Blacks in the media is very negative, and the media do not relay the information SEPPIR provides on its activities for the promotion of racial equality. In the light of the historical entrenchment of racism, eradication efforts should be constant and involve all Ministries as well as the private sector and civil society. What is needed is recognition of racial diversity and equality by the entire society, and compensatory measures and affirmative actions to correct a historically unequal situation. For example, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has a pilot project providing fellowships to Black candidates preparing for the competitive diplomat recruitment process. Other positive actions include the Ministry of Health’s project to include specific health demands from the Blacks into the national health programme. Also, SEPPIR just launched a programme to give value to domestic work, which is almost exclusively performed by black women, and promote the fair treatment of these workers and recognize their right to social security, safety and a decent salary. Finally, she indicated the importance of having appropriate instruments to assess discrimination: SEPPIR promotes the inclusion of racial characteristics in all data collection at the municipal, State and federal level, to have qualitative data on the conditions of life of Blacks and their insertion in public life. 12. The Special Secretariat for Human Rights denounced the killings of many Blacks, especially those young and poor, in the suburbs of the big cities, mainly by police and death squads. Strong measures are needed in this regard. The Special Secretariat also referred to the lack of trained teachers to implement the law on the teaching of African history in primary school. In this context, SEPPIR has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Education for the training of approximately 45,000 teachers at the University of Brasilia in 2006. Finally, the Special Secretariat referred to the need for the Government to invest important financial means to address the huge socio-economic disparities within Brazilian society, which were generated by the gravest form of racial discrimination: slavery. 13. The Special Secretariat for Women referred to the difficult situation of black women, indigenous women and women from quilombos, who suffer the most from the inequalities deriving from racial discrimination. For example, domestic workers, predominantly black women, have no social and economic rights. But discrimination exists at all levels. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report 2005 on human development in Brazil,2 the average monthly income of black women in Brazil in 2003 was R$ 279.70, against R$ 428.30 for black men, R$ 554.60 for white women and R$ 931.10 for white men. The State of Bahia, with the biggest number of Afro-Brazilians of the country