A/HRC/7/19/Add.5 A/HRC/7/23/Add.3 Page 30 Recommendations on racism and racial discrimination 115. The experts call upon the Government to officially recognize and publicly acknowledge the existence and the historical and cultural depth of racism and racial discrimination in Dominican society, and express, in the strongest and most determined terms, its political will to combat it. Political and legal strategies are required to fully address the manifestations and expressions of racism and racial discrimination. 116. The Government should recognize the Amerindian, Hispanic and African roots of the multicultural identity of the Dominican Republic and accordingly explicitly inscribe this multicultural identity in the Constitution. 117. The experts call on the Government to initiate a wide and inclusive debate on issues of racism and discrimination within the country, particularly in regard to affected groups, to rebuild confidence across and within communities that there is not a policy of discrimination and exclusion targeted at them. 118. At the institutional level, the Government should establish a consultative body including representatives of State institutions, democratic political parties, nongovernmental organizations, community representatives, intellectuals and academics, and trade union and employers’ organizations to assess the situation of racism and racial discrimination in the Dominican Republic. This body should formulate a national plan of action against racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia inspired by the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and aimed at uprooting the scourges of silence and invisibility of the victims and promoting their representation and participation at all levels of society. 119. An independent national institution for the promotion and protection of human rights should be established and empowered, in accordance with the Paris Principles, 15 with the independent authority to work to combat all forms of discrimination in a holistic manner, including on all grounds such as race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation and any other status. The experts note Law No. 19-01 in this respect, establishing a human rights ombudsman’s office (Defensor del Pueblo) and urge the implementation of this law in practice. 120. The Government should fulfil its obligations under anti-discrimination provisions of all international and regional human rights treaties to which it is a party including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the American Convention on Human Rights. In this respect, and in conformity with international law, at the domestic level the Government should sponsor comprehensive legislation aimed at combating racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia, and protecting and promoting the rights of minorities. The Government should rigorously implement such legislation and undertake firm measures to prevent discriminatory practices. 15 General Assembly resolution 48/134.