A/59/329 8. As a final recommendation, the Special Rapporteur proposed to the Commission on Human Rights that, when contemplating measures against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, States should bear the following points in mind: (a) National programmes should be prepared to combat these scourges as a matter of urgency on the basis of appropriate international instruments and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; (b) These programmes should take account of the cultural depth of racism and discrimination, which is reflected in a growing political and intellectual intolerance of cultural and religious symbols and expressions of communities, groups and individuals; (c) All countries should pay particularly vigilant attention to the fact that the rejection or non-recognition of the reality of ethnic, cultural and religious pluralism constitutes a major factor favouring the development of new forms of racism and discrimination; (d) The promotion of pluralism, as a factor fostering the recognition, respect and protection of diversity, and especially of cultural and religious features and expressions, should lie at the core of these programmes; (e) There is an urgent need to establish a dialectical link between the fight against racism and discrimination in all their forms and manifestations and the promotion of dialogue between cultures and religions and the building of democratic and egalitarian multiculturalism; (f) The final document of the Durban Conference concerning the recognition and in-depth treatment of the resurgence of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism should be assured vigilant and balanced implementation; (g) The rise of racism in sport should be recognized and dealt with by all countries through concrete measures, in close cooperation with international sports bodies. B. Coordination with other human rights mechanisms and participation in various meetings 9. Continuing the process of regular consultation he initiated last year with the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, on 1 March 2004, the Special Rapporteur met with members of the Committee and shared his observations on the countries he has visited (Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia and Canada). The members of the Committee welcomed this meeting, which they regarded as a useful tool for exchanging factual information on the various countries and maintaining a coherent approach to the consideration of situations by the different mechanisms. 10. On 9 and 10 March 2004, the Special Rapporteur visited Washington, D.C., at the invitation of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and several American non-governmental organizations working to combat racism and racial discrimination. Ms. Edna Roland, an eminent expert on the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, was also invited to these meetings. The meeting with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights was the second 6