been considered, a committee issues “concluding observations”, which may state that violations of the rights of minorities have taken place, urge the State party to desist from any further infringements of the rights in question or call on it to adopt measures to improve the situation.12 United Nations staff members with responsibilities in countries where minorities face particular issues can contact the secretariat preparing the sessions of the various committees studying that country. Moreover, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has established an early warning mechanism to draw the attention of the States parties to situations where racial discrimination has reached alarming levels. The Committee has in fact adopted both early warning measures and urgent procedures to prevent as well as to respond more effectively to violations of the Convention. Criteria for early warning measures could apply when the following indicators are present: • A significant and persistent pattern of racial discrimination, as evidenced in social and economic indicators; • A pattern of escalating racial hatred and violence, or racist propaganda or appeals to racial intolerance by persons, groups or organizations, notably by elected or other State officials; • Adoption of new discriminatory legislation; • Segregation policies or de facto exclusion of members of a group from political, economic, social and cultural life; • Lack of an adequate legislative framework defining and criminalizing all forms of racial discrimination or lack of effective mechanisms, including lack of recourse procedures; • Policies or practice of impunity regarding: (i) violence targeting members of a group identified on the basis of race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin by State officials or private actors; (ii) grave statements by political leaders/prominent people that condone or justify violence against a group identified on the ground of race, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin; (iii) development and organization of militia groups and/or extreme political groups based on a racist platform; • Significant flows of refugees or displaced persons, especially when those concerned belong to specific ethnic groups; • Encroachment on the traditional lands of indigenous peoples or forced removal of these peoples from their lands, in particular for the purpose of exploitation of natural resources; 12 For more information about human rights treaty bodies, see www.ohchr.org. 20