A/HRC/7/19 page 9 23. He also wishes to mention the activities of the Japanese NGO network for the elimination of racial discrimination, which was set up on the basis of his mission report and on the initiative of the NGO International Movement against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR). He welcomes the dialogue initiated between the network and the Government of Japan aimed at facilitating constructive dialogue between the authorities and members of the communities most affected by racism and xenophobia, including the national minorities (Buraku people, Ainu and people of Okinawa), people and descendants of people from former Japanese colonies (Koreans and Chinese), and the new immigrants from other Asian, African, South American and Middle Eastern countries. C. Other activities of the Special Rapporteur 24. Throughout his term of office, several fundamental objectives have underpinned the Special Rapporteur’s work: promoting and implementing the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; encouraging the development of effective political, legal and cultural strategies to identify and combat the root causes of old and new forms of racism and xenophobia; and lastly, promoting the link between efforts to combat racism and xenophobia, and the construction of egalitarian, democratic and interactive multiculturalism. 25. The Special Rapporteur’s activities are categorized as follows: activities to strengthen coordination with other human rights mechanisms; participation in various meetings and conferences on the resurgence of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia; and lastly, activities to strengthen cooperation with regional organizations. 1. Enhanced coordination with other human rights mechanisms 26. The Special Rapporteur has strengthened his cooperation with the Anti-Discrimination Unit of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) by continuing the regular consultations begun at the outset of his mandate and by participating in the following particularly important activities: the thematic panel “Discussion and analysis of racial profiling”, held in Geneva from 30 January to 1 February 2007 during the sixth session of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent; the high-level conference “Racism and discrimination: obstacles to development”, held in Geneva on 21 March 2007 to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; a series of activities in Nepal from 23 to 27 April 2007 aimed at reinforcing the remarkable initiatives of OHCHR in the context of the current historic move towards democracy; and a meeting in Geneva on 12 December 2007 on updating the model for anti-discrimination legislation to support the action taken by States towards adopting legislation in keeping with their obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and which respond to the concerns expressed in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. 27. Lastly, in the spirit of strengthening the complementarity of their two mandates, the Special Rapporteur welcomes the invitation he has received from the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to attend meetings at which it considers reports from States parties that he has visited in order to evaluate racism and follow-up to his recommendations.