A/49/677 English Page 4 INTRODUCTION 1. In its resolution 1993/20 of 2 March 1993, the Commission on Human Rights decided to appoint, for a three-year period, a special rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia and related intolerance, and to request him to report thereon to the Commission on an annual basis, beginning at its fiftieth session. 2. In the same resolution, the Commission expressed its deep concern at the manifestations of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia in many parts of the world and recommended that the General Assembly should launch a third decade to combat racism and racial discrimination, to begin in 1993. 3. The Commission also emphasized the obligation of the international community to take urgent measures to eradicate apartheid completely and to combat all other forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, including those practised against vulnerable groups. It also confirmed the importance of a complementarity of economic, social, educational and information measures at the national level, including legislative, administrative and penal measures, and of measures taken at the international level. 4. The Commission recognized the importance of activities aimed at directly assisting vulnerable groups to strengthen their participation in national economic, social and political life and appealed to all Governments to consider ratifying the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. The Commission urged all Governments to undertake immediate measures and to develop strong policies effectively to combat racism and eliminate discrimination. 5. Finally, the Commission requested the Secretary-General to provide the special rapporteur with all the necessary assistance, in particular the staff and resources required to perform his or her functions, especially in carrying out missions and following them up. 6. Appointed Special Rapporteur on 7 December 1993, Mr. Maurice Glélé-Ahanhanzo (Benin) submitted his preliminary report (E/CN.4/1994/66) to the Commission on Human Rights at its fiftieth session in February 1994. 7. Having considered and taken note of the report, the Commission, in its resolution 1994/64 of 9 March 1994, welcomed the Special Rapporteur’s proposal concerning the organization of an interdisciplinary seminar on the problems of the theoretical aspects and specific manifestations of contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia. 8. The Commission also made the mandate more explicit by requesting the Special Rapporteur to examine incidents of contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, any form of discrimination against Blacks, Arabs and Muslims, xenophobia, negrophobia, anti-Semitism, and related intolerance, as well as /...