A/53/269 communities themselves, especially the National Plan for the Development of Black Communities and the Project on Health Policies for Afro-Colombian Communities. D. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 36. The British Parliament recently passed an act on race relations in Northern Ireland, which fills a lacuna by prohibiting racial discrimination with respect to employment, training, education, housing and the supply of goods and services. However, although a bill making the denial of the Holocaust a criminal offence was thoroughly debated, it was not adopted by Parliament.3 E. United States of America 37. The Special Rapporteur is closely following the work of the Advisory Commission on Race in America established by President Clinton, and is looking forward to its conclusions and to measures taken by the Government. F. Europe 38. Following the declaration of 1997 as the European Year against Racism, many events, lectures and seminars were held. In that regard, the Treaty of Amsterdam contained a general clause on non-discrimination which allows the Council of the European Union, following the ratification of the Treaty, and at the proposal of the European Commission, to take appropriate measures to combat any discrimination based on gender, race, ethnic origin. 39. The Commission also adopted a plan of action against racism that proposes concerted action at the European level to alert public opinion to the dangers of racism and put forward solutions. The Commission plans to include the fight against racism and racial discrimination and the promotion of integration in all appropriate areas of activity, including employment, European structural funds, education, training and youth programmes, policy on public contracts, research activities, external relations, information activities, and cultural and sports initiatives. The Commission intends to continue to reflect in its own policies and practices the principles of non-discrimination and efforts to combat racism and xenophobia.4 40. It should also be noted that the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance has published studies on the situation with respect to racism and racial discrimination in the member countries of the Council as well as on the legislative, judicial and administrative measures taken to combat the steady rise in racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism. Such studies cover Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Slovenia and Switzerland. 5 V. Conclusions and recommendations 41. As the foregoing developments show, the most alarming trends in the manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance concern the resurgence of neo-fascism and neo-Nazism, the continued use of the Internet for the purpose of disseminating racist ideology and the exacerbation of ethno-nationalism. The General 9