A/HRC/7/19 page 14 48. These reports, analysing the main political platforms which incite or encourage racial discrimination, confirm the existence of the following worrying trends: the trivialization of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia through their use as political tools; the significant influence exerted by racist policies of extreme right-wing parties and movements on democratic parties’ programmes, especially in connection with issues relating to immigration, asylum, aliens and terrorism, seen not only as a security challenge but mainly as a threat to national identity; and lastly, the growing intellectual legitimization of these policies as reflected in the increasing number of ostensibly scientific or literary publications which, on the pretext of defending national identity or security, develop explanatory concepts and theories characterized by the ethnic or racial interpretation of social, economic and political problems. 49. The growing “democratic legitimization” of these political platforms is inextricably linked to the resurgence of acts inciting racial hatred, despite the existence in most countries’ legislation of provisions prohibiting such acts. More and more frequently, these platforms, which explicitly propagate hatred by calling for exclusion and hostility, depict restrictions on incitement to racial hatred and discrimination as infringements of the freedom of opinion and speech. 50. The significant influence exerted by these platforms on democratic parties’ political programmes is primarily accounted for by the absence of any expression of a strong political will to combat them. It is also accounted for by the limited, and sometimes non-existent, participation and representation of ethnic, cultural and religious minorities in the decision-making process in the political, cultural and economic activities of their societies, which thus perpetuates two factors central to the discrimination from which they suffer: invisibility and silence. It is therefore particularly important, in the context of the multiculturalization of all societies, that integration should be conceived not as a rejection of diversity and an undermining of identity, but as a dialectical process of the various communities getting to know each other and interacting. In order to achieve this goal, the leaders of political parties must promote the participation in the decision-making process of groups exposed to racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance, and also their representation in Governments, political parties, parliaments and civil society as a whole, as these groups can help to fight discrimination in political and social life. B. Incitement to racial, ethnic or religious hatred 51. In recent years, the Special Rapporteur has noted an unprecedented rise in the number of acts of incitement to racial, ethnic or religious hatred. These acts constitute a substantial obstacle to the promotion and protection of human rights. On all continents, vulnerable communities, especially minorities, have been the victims of public utterances, both oral and written, calling for intolerance and discrimination and, in some cases, resulting in physical and psychological violence. Although international human rights instruments clearly and absolutely prohibit such acts, several member States have not yet drafted legislation or set up institutions to combat them. 52. The Special Rapporteur considers that this increase in incitement to racial, ethnic or religious hatred is directly linked to three basic factors. The trivialization of racism and xenophobia, particularly through its use as a political tool and its significant influence on democratic parties’ platforms, has created a deeply detrimental context, characterized by intolerance, indifference, connivance and even acceptance of racism, which has in turn created ethical, psychological and political conditions that have directly contributed to the increase in