E/CN.4/1994/66
page 10
A conference for the purpose of consolidation during the third year of
his mandate. These scientific encounters will be organized in close
collaboration with the specialized agencies concerned with human rights,
the NGOs and experts working in the field.
51.
The Special Rapporteur is convinced of the importance of education and
its far-reaching consequences and suggests that measures should be studied to
prevent actions and behaviour giving rise to discrimination - prevention being
better than cure - and that a system of human rights teaching should be
established in all States in close cooperation with specialized agencies such
as UNESCO and with Governments. There would be a study of how to make this
system mandatory and effective. Could cultural and social racism not be
gradually checked by theoretical teaching as well as practical methods (plays
and cultural events) which would enable a country’s different ethnic or
cultural groups to get to know, learn, understand and appreciate each other’s
culture, and thus facilitate cultural intermingling? Today, in the "finite
world" or the "planetary village" we inhabit, ethnic, religious and cultural
minorities could, thanks to the large scale impact of the media, achieve a
better mutual understanding in cultural terms and accept each other to a
greater extent. Greater tolerance would thus grow progressively between
peoples, migrants, immigrant workers and their families and aboriginal or
indigenous peoples. In short, the Special Rapporteur attaches great
importance to the prevention of manifestations of racism in any form
whatsoever by governmental, legislative, administrative, economic and social
and above all educational measures.
52.
Lastly, the Special Rapporteur would suggest that some thought might be
given, at the conclusion of the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial
Discrimination to erecting a memorial in honour of the victims of racial
discrimination. It could be set up on the Place des Nations within the
grounds of the United Nations at Geneva to promote an awareness of the evils
of racial discrimination and to draw attention to the continuing and sustained
activities of the United Nations against all forms of racism and on behalf of
human rights. If this idea were to find favour, the activity would be
financed by voluntary contributions. Our world does not lack men of goodwill,
humanists or benefactors.