A/71/297 Eighteenth session (11-15 April 2016) 5. At its eighteenth session (11-15 April 2016), the Working Group focused on the interlinkages between the themes of the International Decade (2015-2024), namely: recognition, justice and development. Since the Working Group had devoted its previous three annual thematic sessions to the themes of the International Decade, it decided to devote its eighteenth session to exploring the interlinkages between them and to deepening the understanding of stakeholders about the importance of the interconnectedness of the themes. During the session, the Working Group discussed how policies, actions and programmes of development were affected by structural and institutional racism, racial discrimination, Afrophobia, xenophobia and related intolerance towards Africans and people of African descent. It emphasized that measures to eliminate poverty and all forms of racial discrimination must be mutually reinforcing. The Working Group urged States to establish programmes based on the participation of Africans and people of African descent, aimed at improving their economic and social conditions. It also reiterated its recommendation to devoting special attention to the needs of people of African descent, inter alia, through the preparation of specific programmes of action, in cooperation with civil society, in order to implement the programme of activities for the International Decade for People of African Descent; e stablish an international forum for people of African descent; and start work on a draft United Nations declaration on the promotion of and full respect for the human rights of people of African descent. In addition, a special session was devoted to the fi fteenth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. Another special session was devoted to discussing the Working Group’s research on the stereotyping of blackface. A full account of the sessions and recommendations made by the Working Group is contained in its annual report submitted to the Council at its thirty-third session (A/HRC/33/61). B. Country visits United States of America 6. The Working Group undertook a country visit to the United States of America from 19 to 29 January 2016. 1 A full account of the findings and recommendations made by the Working Group are contained in its report submitted to the thir ty-third session of the Council. Canada 7. The Working Group will visit Canada from 17 to 21 October 2016. A statement to the press will be delivered by the Working Group at the end of its mission and will then be made available on its website. The Working Group will submit a report containing its findings and recommend ations to the Council in September 2017. __________________ 1 4/11 The statement to the press delivered by the Working Group at the end of their mission is available from www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID= 17000&LangID=E. 16-13578