E/CN.4/2005/21 page 4 9. OHCHR considered the Working Group as a vital mechanism in the struggle against discrimination and economic exclusion that affected certain racial and ethnic communities. He expressed confidence that the contributions of the united panellists would provide substantive input and establish a basis for a fruitful exchange of views among all participants at the session. 10. The Chairperson-Rapporteur made introductory remarks and discussed the provisional programme of work. He informed participants that several panellists would make presentations and lead the discussions on the three thematic topics, namely, racism and employment, racism and health, and racism and housing. 11. During the general debate, several government observers shared information on activities and measures undertaken at the national level to implement the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. Some stressed that the Working Group should devote much attention to problems of access to justice, employment, affordable health care and housing problems faced by people of African descent. 12. One observer said that 70 per cent of the poorest segment of the population of her country was composed of people of African descent. Like in other South American countries, the Government had established affirmative action initiatives considered as fundamental in combating racism, racial discrimination and the elimination of poverty among people of African descent. 13. There was discussion about the mandate of the Working Group as regards the definition to be attached to the term “people of African descent”, which was central to the discharge of the mandate. At the request of the Chairperson-Rapporteur, the Secretariat submitted a background note on the mandate of the Working Group. In the note, the Secretariat relied on the content of Commission on Human Rights resolutions 2002/68 and 2003/30, which stipulated that the mandate of the Working Group covered all people of African descent. Indeed, resolution 2002/68, which created the mandate of the Working Group, stipulated in paragraph 8 (a) that the latter was “to study the problems of racial discrimination faced by people of African descent living in the diaspora”. However, resolution 2003/30 provided in paragraph 24 (a) that the Working Group was “to make proposals on the elimination of racial discrimination against Africans and people of African descent in all parts of the world”. 14. Many observers from African States emphasized the circumstances under which people of African descent lived around the world, in the diaspora. They were often victims of racism and racial discrimination. However, in some societies people of African descent were relatively well integrated in the society and, regarding this matter, best practices should be exchanged and examined by the participants. 15. Other observers expressed the view that the Working Group’s mandate was not limited to the study of problems of racial discrimination faced by people of African descent living in the diaspora, but extended to making proposals on the elimination of racial discrimination against Africans and people of African descent in all parts of the world.