A/HRC/17/38/Add.1 stressed. The need to establish mechanisms at the Federal, State and municipal levels to monitor and make recommendations for the effective implementation of these laws with the participation of Afro-descendents and indigenous peoples was also highlighted as a precondition for achieving the goals of these laws. Legislation on racial equality and cultural rights 31. Law 12.288 of 2010, known as the Statute on Racial Equality, aims to combat prejudice on racial grounds and to remedy historical wrongs. It created the National System for the Promotion of Racial Equality (SINAPIR) and promotes coordination among all institutions working in this area. The Statute aims to protect freedom of religion and belief, promote respect for cultural diversity through education, ensure access to land rights and recognize the collective manifestations of Afro-descendents as historical and cultural heritage, including, but not limited to, their clubs and associations, with a proven history. The Statute further seeks to ensure the cultural rights of Quilombo communities, to celebrate key dates related to Samba and other Brazilian cultural expressions of African origin nationally, and to promote and protect Capoeira, a sport of Brazilian origin, as intangible cultural heritage. 32. The independent expert considers that the celebration of the International Year for People of African Descent in 2011 will provide an impetus for redoubling efforts towards the effective implementation of this new law in Brazil. 2. National policy framework The National Human Rights Policy 33. The third edition of the National Human Rights Policy (NHRP-III), published in 2009, addresses the promotion of the right to culture, leisure and sport as formative elements of citizenship contributing to the major goal of universalizing human rights in a context of inequalities. Priority actions include (i) expanding cultural programmes for the protection and promotion of Brazilian culture in accessible formats; (ii) developing cultural programmes and actions sensitive to the needs of specific ages and social groups in accessible formats; (iii) mapping all languages spoken in Brazil; (iv) expanding and decentralizing “cultural points” to ensure equal geographic coverage and equal access for low-income populations; (v) expanding the development of audiovisual productions, music and crafts of indigenous peoples; (vi) ensuring the right of persons with disabilities and mental illness to participate in cultural life on an equal footing with others and developing and utilizing their creative, artistic and intellectual potential. The National Plan on Culture 34. As prescribed by the Federal Constitution (article 215.3), the National Plan on Culture (NPC) is the main long-term policy framework that guides affirmative action by the State in the protection and promotion of cultural diversity in Brazil. The NPC was adopted in December 2010, after seven years of wide consultations involving a variety of stakeholders, to set priorities in light of desired outcomes and the specific needs of the Brazilian context. 35. The primary goal of the NPC is to promote universal access to the production and consumption of cultural goods and services in Brazil. It seeks to ensure access by all to culture with a view to increasing reading habits within the population, and access to, as well as use of, theatres, museums and cinemas at all levels of society and in all regions. It also aims to ensure the documentation, promotion and protection of cultural diversity, including the cultures of indigenous peoples and Afro-Brazilians, and to strengthen the capacity of the State in the planning and execution of cultural policies. 9