A/HRC/18/45 33. The Chairperson also reported that a representative of the World Bank had given an overview of relevant activities pertaining to people of African descent carried out by the Bank, such as income-generating projects and a project assisting the national censuses that had been conducted in the Americas in 2010. The representative had suggested that any conferences held in the context of the International Year would benefit from preparatory videoconferences involving non-governmental organizations, as this would generate greater interest in the main conference itself. 34. A representative of the Inter-American Development Bank had provided an overview of the work of the Bank pertaining to Afro-descendents and the projects that it was funding, including one examining race and the collection of data in the context of the many censuses conducted in the region in 2010. Another initiative was the creation of an inventory of projects relating to people of African descent that had been funded by the Bank over the years. This initiative would involve a public meeting in Washington, D.C. The Chairperson stated that the Bank was also considering developing a project with Prolead, a fund within the Bank that promotes the leadership of women, for women of African descent. Ms. Morrison suggested that the Bank could carry out such a project in partnership with OHCHR as a side event to the session of the Human Rights Council. 35. The two meetings held with non-governmental organizations revealed that there was a dearth of knowledge about the 2011 International Year for People of African Descent among American non-governmental organizations. For most, the visit by the Chairperson was the first time they had heard about the Year. It was agreed that information on the Year would be sent to the non-governmental organizations so that they could raise awareness about it with other non-governmental organizations with which they had contact. 36. The Chairperson stressed that all institutions and non-governmental organizations had demonstrated great interest in the work of the Working Group and in engaging actively in activities to mark the International Year. 3. Participation in the Human Rights Day event in New York 37. The Chairperson briefed attendees on her participation in the launching of the International Year for People of African Descent, which was held in December 2010 in New York. The Year had been launched by the Secretary-General and by the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights on the occasion of Human Rights Day, on 10 December. 38. The Chairperson expressed her disappointment, which was echoed by a number of experts and delegates in the room, at the weak interest shown by Member States in the event launched by the Secretary-General, where few delegations were present. She also stressed that the theme of “Recognition, justice and development” proposed by the Working Group had not been endorsed but only welcomed by the General Assembly. Several participants commented that significant financial means would be required to implement activities within the framework of the International Year, and that this would be an indication of the political will of States with regard to the Year. B. Discussion under item 7 on Durban + 10 on developments regarding people of African descent 39. The Chairperson gave a presentation on the achievements of the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. She stressed that at no other conference had racially motivated colonialism and slavery been examined in such detail, and recalled that never before had these practices been condemned as crimes against humanity in such clear terms. 7