A/69/340 during the fifth session of the African Union Conference of Ministers of Sport, held in Abidjan from 22 to 26 July 2013. The African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs, Mustapha Kaloko, referred to sport as a tool for decolonization and liberation of the continent, as well as in the fight against apartheid and all forms of racial discrimination and intolerance. He emphasized that sport had been used to support development efforts throughout the world, and that Africa should invest in sports for its potential contribution to the development and renaissance of the continent. 37 45. With regard to regional sports federations, UEFA, in partnership with the Football against Racism in Europe (FARE) network, issued in 2003 a guide to good practice for combating racism in European football. 38 The guide is a comprehensive document which defines and identifies sources of racism in European football. It contains a summary of actions taken at the national level by some football federations and, most important, various initiatives that can be taken at the club level to combat racism. Among the initiatives prescribed, UEFA recommends that clubs be transparent, inform their supporters of its position against racism and encourage them to join the club in this effort. It also encourages clubs to prevent the sale of racist literature inside and around the stadium, to remove all rac ist graffiti from the ground, and to take disciplinary action against any player who engages in racial abuse. 46. In the guide, UEFA encourages all national federations to follow the German and Norwegian football federations, which developed their own plan s of action to combat racism in their leagues, including the creation of national and independent campaigns and educational programmes. In 2006, UEFA toughened its disciplinary rules relating to racism and intolerance. Since then, players involved in racist incidents have been liable to suspension for up to 10 games . Moreover, racist remarks by supporters may lead to sanctions at the club level in the form of partial stadium closure for a first offence, 39 and complete closure for a repeated offence. In 2009, UEFA took another step in the fight against racism by giving referees the power to suspend a match for 10 minutes in cases of racism from the stands, and to end it in the event the infraction did not stop. 40 3. National frameworks and initiatives 47. The Special Rapporteur wishes to highlight several positive initiatives taken by Governments and national sports federations to strengthen the national framework to combat racism and racial discrimination in sports, which have been brought to his attention. The examples are in no way exhaustive and the Special Rapporteur encourages all stakeholders to continue providing information in this regard. __________________ 37 38 39 40 14-59616 http://sa.au.int/en/content/5th-session-au-commission-conference-ministers-sport-cams5abidjan-cote-divoire-22-26-july (accessed 21 July 2014). Union of European Football Associations, UEFA Guide to Good Practice, available from http://www.uefa.org/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefa/UEFAMedia/258797_DOWNLOAD.pdf (accessed 21 July 2014). Ibid., Tackling Racism in Club Football: A Guide for Clubs, available from http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefa/KeyTopics/448328_ DOWNLOAD.pdf (accessed 21 July 2014). See http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/8131082.stm. 15/21