A global call for concrete action for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action A/RES/69/162 I International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 1. Reaffirms the paramount importance of universal adherence to and the full and effective implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, 2 adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 2106 A (XX) of 21 December 1965, in addressing the scourges of racism and racial discrimination; 2. Calls upon States that have not done so to consider acceding to the Convention, and States parties to make the declaration under article 14 of the Convention, as a matter of urgency; 3. Underlines, in the above context, that the provisions of the Convention do not respond effectively to contemporary manifestations of racial discrimination, in particular in relation to xenophobia and related intolerance, which is recognized as the rationale behind the convening of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in 2001; 4. Takes note of the acknowledgement by the Human Rights Council and its subsidiary structures of the existence of both procedural and substantive gaps in the aforementioned Convention, which must be filled as a matter of urgency, necessity and priority; 5. Invites the Human Rights Council, in conjunction with its Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, in the execution of its mandate, to continue to elaborate complementary standards in order to fill existing gaps in the Convention, in the form of new normative standards aimed at combating all forms of contemporary and resurgent racism, and in this regard, areas such as xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and incitement to national or ethnic and religious hatred that have been identified as constituting substantive gaps; II International Decade for People of African Descent 6. Welcomes the proclamation of the International Decade for People of African Descent, as contained in its resolution 68/237 of 23 December 2013, and the celebratory launch of the Decade on 10 December 2014; 7. Also welcomes the adoption of the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent;3 8. Requests the Human Rights Council, through the Chair of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, to submit a report on the work of the Working Group to the General Assembly, and in this regard invites the Chair of the Working Group to engage in an interactive dialogue with the Assembly under the item entitled “Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” at its seventieth session; _______________ 2 3 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 660, No. 9464. Resolution 69/16, annex. 3/6