E/CN.4/2006/19 page 15 III. OTHER MATTERS 62. The Working Group held three private meetings, during which the possibility of drafting a three- year programme of work was discussed and agreed upon. The Working Group also decided that such a programme of work would be annexed to the present report. 63. The Working Group held a private meeting with NGOs at which measures to intensify cooperation between the mechanism and civil society organizations were discussed. A private meeting was also held with representatives of the five regional groups. Armenia, Ethiopia, Ireland, Mexico, Romania and the Republic of Korea participated in the meeting on behalf of their respective regional groups. The delegates of Brazil and of the Syrian Arab Republic were also present. The representatives suggested that the Working Group enhance its cooperation links with other anti-discrimination mechanisms set up before and after the World Conference. They added that the Working Group should focus further on practical ways of implementing the recommendations of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A. General Conclusions 64. The Working Group believes that all States should implement measures to promote understanding, tolerance, gender equality and friendship among all nations and racial, national, ethnic, religious and linguistic groups. 65. The Working Group stresses the need to collect reliable and disaggregated statistical data in order to study and assess regularly the situation of individuals and groups of individuals who are victims of racism, including people of African descent. In this regard, the Working Group will establish closer contacts with UNESCO, especially within the context of the ongoing project entitled “Development of indicators on racism and discrimination in the city”. 66. The Working Group highlights the need for States to fully take into account the gender-related dimensions of racial discrimination, enhance efforts to integrate gender perspectives and incorporate gender-sensitive programmes in their implementation of the Durban Programme of Action. 67. The Working Group reiterates the need for States to ensure that the development and implementation of positive measures aimed at accelerating the achievement of substantive equality of persons of African descent, and especially that of women and girls of African descent, are accompanied by strong monitoring and evaluation mechanisms at the national level in order to assess progress made, the effectiveness of such measures and the identification of good practices. 68. The Working Group is of the view that organizations such as the Council of Europe, through its European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC), should commission a