E/CN.4/1994/66 page 2 Introduction 1. At its forty-ninth session, the Commission on Human Rights decided, in resolution 1993/20, to appoint, for a three-year period, a special rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia and related intolerance, and to request him to report thereon to the Commission on an annual basis, beginning at its fiftieth session. 2. In the same resolution, the Commission expressed its deep concern at the reported serious incidents attributable to racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia taking place in many parts of the world. It also recommended that the General Assembly should launch a third decade to combat racism and racial discrimination, to begin in 1993. 3. The Commission also emphasized the obligation of the international community to take urgent measures to eradicate apartheid completely and to combat all other forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, including those practised against vulnerable groups. It also confirmed the importance, in the struggle against racism and racial discrimination of a complementarity of economic, social, educational and information measures at the national level, including legislative, administrative and penal measures and of measures taken at the international level. 4. The Commission recognized the importance of activities aimed at directly assisting vulnerable groups to strengthen their participation in national, economic, social and political life and appealed to all Governments to consider ratifying the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. The Commission urged all Governments to undertake immediate measures and to develop strong policies effectively to combat racism and eliminate discrimination. 5. Finally, the Commission requested the Secretary-General to provide the special rapporteur with all the necessary assistance, in particular the staff and resources required to perform his or her functions, especially in carrying out missions and following them up. 6. Following consultations with the officers elected for the forty-ninth session, on 30 March 1993, the Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights appointed Mr. Robert Dossou (Benin) as Special Rapporteur. As some months later Mr. Dossou was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs of his country, he resigned from the post of Special Rapporteur. Consequently, on 7 December 1993, the Chairman of the Commission appointed another Special Rapporteur in the person of Mr. Maurice Glélé-Ahanhanzo, also from Benin. 7. In the meantime, on 28 July 1993, by decision 1993/258, the Economic and Social Council approved the Commission’s decision to appoint a special rapporteur as well as the request to the Secretary-General to provide the special rapporteur with all the necessary assistance and resources required to perform his or her functions. On account of his late appointment, the present Special Rapporteur was able to set about his task only at the beginning of January 1994.