A/71/301 strengthened by the presence of regional offices. For instance, the Austrian Ombud for Equal Treatment offers free and confidential advice and support and is present in five regional offices that provide advisory services in Austria, in Vienna, Graz, Klagenfurt, Linz and Innsbruck. Advocacy 30. The Special Rapporteur notes that while advocacy is part of the mandate of many national specialized bodies, it is usually more prominent with the promotion type bodies and is carried out by raising awareness and training different stakeholders in order to prevent discrimination by employers. In fact, many national specialized bodies advocate for changing the policies, procedures and practices of employers, service providers and policymakers. 15 31. The main target groups of the advocacy work of national specialized bodies are employers, including restaurant, bar and club owners and manag ers, and their professional organizations, trade unions, employers’ unions, public authorities and different public administrations, as well as civil society organizations, the media, police forces, legal professionals, providers of housing, property owner s, professionals in the education sector and recruitment agencies. 15 Raising awareness 32. The Special Rapporteur is pleased to note that national specialized bodies have been active in organizing events on international days, such as International R oma Day (8 April), the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (21 March) and the International Day of the World ’s Indigenous Peoples (9 August), and for the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015 -2024). He also notes that a number of anti-discrimination campaigns have been initiated by national specialized bodies, such as media campaigns on issues of discrimination that included television, radio and newspaper advertisements, the publication of several documents, the launch of online platforms to combat racism and discrimination and the holding of training seminars and conferences. 33. A number of bodies have dedicated communications departments or staff members assigned solely to communication tasks, including relations with the media. These teams can create communication strategies to inform the general public or specific target groups, aimed at increasing awareness of rights, developing recognition for national equality bodies and informing people who feel they ha ve been discriminated against about available remedies. 16 34. One such example of a positive media campaign was conducted in 2010 by the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism of Argentina, which launched a programme entitled “Afro-descendants against discrimination, xenophobia and racism”. The programme comprises actions to raise the profile and increase awareness of Afro-Argentine identity and culture (see A/HRC/22/4/Add.1/ Rev.1, para. 28). __________________ 15 16 16-13565 European Network of Equality Bodies, Equality Bodies Combating Discrimination on the Ground of Racial or Ethnic Origin (Brussels, 2012), p. 17. European Network of Equality Bodies, Promoting equality: overview of positive measures used by national equality bodies (Brussels, 2008), p. 19. 9/21