A/59/329 discrimination. The autonomy granted to the North and South Atlantic regions has created the institutional framework for the peoples of these regions to plan and assume responsibility for their own development but, owing to the shortage of financial resources coming from the central Government, they have not yet been able to benefit effectively from this decentralization. 23. Although he is aware of the economic difficulties confronting Nicaragua for more than two decades in the wake of internal conflicts and natural disasters affecting it, the Special Rapporteur nevertheless believes that the Government should listen more closely to the peoples whose objective experience of discrimination should henceforth be recognized and treated in all its dimensions, cultural, economic and social, by a national programme to combat racism and discrimination and build a democratic, egalitarian, interactive and multicultural society. There should be greater dialogue with the leaders and peoples of the autonomous Atlantic regions in order to identify the economic and social areas that require priority intervention and the allocation of adequate resources. The Special Rapporteur also considers that the process of granting land rights to indigenous peoples should take account of their habits and customs and ensure, through negotiation, that their interests and ancestral rights are not violated. In that respect, the Government should consider ratifying and implementing ILO Convention No. 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries. 24. Concerning future missions, the Special Rapporteur has begun consultations with Japan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and the Russian Federation, which he would like to visit shortly, consultations that he hopes will succeed, reflecting the commitment of those countries to combating racism, discrimination and xenophobia. III. Manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance A. Upsurge of xenophobia and weakening of protection against certain forms of discrimination 25. The issue of discrimination is undergoing a deep transformation because of its current ideological context and scope. The ideological context, which has been largely determined by the priority given to counter-terrorism, has resulted not only in the marginalization of efforts to combat discrimination but also the appearance of new forms of discrimination. The international commitment to combating racial discrimination, racism and xenophobia, which was reaffirmed by the holding of the Durban Conference and embodied in the Declaration and Programme of Action adopted there, has been eroded if not marginalized by the international priority given to counter-terrorism, particularly following the tragic events of 11 September 2001. Moreover, because of this ideological and political shift, the scope of discrimination itself has grown more complex as race, or ethnicity, is conflated with religion and culture. 26. These two developments spotlight a central aspect of discrimination that is often overlooked: its cultural depth. The increasing economic and social impact of discrimination, which continues to be reflected in the persistent link between discrimination, poverty and social marginalization, is now accompanied by an overemphasis on ideology, culture and ethnicity and the emergence of new targets of 13