E/CN.4/2005/21 page 8 36. Major shortfalls in the collection or availability of statistical data based on racial or ethnic disparities in employment at the national and global levels revealed that the relationship between the attainment of the Goals and racial equality might have been ignored. 37. Despite the size of the problem, few countries had effective monitoring and evaluation systems to assess the process and implementation of the various resolutions passed, and fewer still had adopted anti-discrimination legislation specifically targeted at populations of people of African descent. 38. A discussion followed the presentations, during which one observer referred to paragraph 92 of the Durban Programme of Action and stressed that there was a consensus among the international community on the need to collect, compile, analyse, disseminate and publish reliable statistical data. He referred to the third session of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and its recommendations on data-gathering as being essential for policy-making. In that connection, the observer posed the question whether the ILO had programmes for statistical data collection and whether it was possible to harmonize policy on discrimination by comparing national statistics. 39. Another observer referred to Lee Swepton (Chief, Equality and Employment Branch, Human Rights Coordinator, ILO) of the comment at the third session of the Intergovernmental Working Group, when, speaking as a panellist on the preparation of complementary international standards to strengthen and update international instruments against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in all their aspects, he stated that “a solution to the problem of racial discrimination is impossible without data-gathering”. 40. Many observers echoed the view that there was a need to find the right balance between data-gathering which was useful for the goal of combating racism, and data-gathering which could be used towards a negative end and have a reverse effect in the fight against racism. 41. One observer stated that adequate approaches were needed for every society that suffered from racial discrimination to achieve full integration of people of African descent in the labour market. Additionally, she stressed the need to focus efforts on those measures that worked most successfully. 42. In her presentation Evelyne Doussou, from the NGO European Network against Racism, recalled that acts of racism and racial discrimination were human rights violations. In Luxemburg, almost 38 per cent of the population was foreign. That was explained by its geographical location, which had made it both a transit and host country throughout its history, and by the influx of immigrants since the 1970s, during the expansion of its mining sector. The large foreign presence was due to the country’s restrictive policy with regard to granting nationality: Luxemburg’s legislation did not, at present, allow for dual nationality. 43. The community “priorities” certainly penalized Africans seeking employment, but the lack of research and studies in the area made any analysis difficult. Ms. Doussou added that there was still a latent racism in many public institutions. Problems linked to the attitude of civil