A/HRC/32/50 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 13 May 2016 Original: English Human Rights Council Thirty-second session Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance Note by the Secretariat In the present report, the Special Rapporteur focuses on the phenomenon of xenophobia and its conceptualization, trends and manifestations. The Special Rapporteur expresses the view that in the context of an acute migration crisis, which is further exacerbating prejudice and discrimination and is worsening the situation of vulnerable groups, a clear definition of xenophobia is needed in responding to the crisis. The Special Rapporteur proposes that xenophobia can be said to exist when individuals are denied equal rights on account of the real or perceived geographic origins of the said individuals or groups, or the values, beliefs and/or practices associated with such individuals or groups that make them appear as foreigners or “outsiders”. This may be explicit and obvious, such as discrimination against recent migrants or refugees. It may also be less directly tied to a recent migration history and may target members of different communities who have lived alongside each other for generations. The Special Rapporteur lays down key elements that need to be taken into consideration in order to enhance the effectiveness of policies and measures to combat xenophobia. GE.16-07832(E) 