A/51/301 English Page 10 position in an important statement, from which the following quotations are extracts: "President Fernando Henrique Cardoso himself fully recognizes the persistence of racial discrimination in the country. Nevertheless, if Brazil may not be the so-called perfect example of ethnic and racial integration - if there is any - our situation is by no means characterized by racial violence or segregation. "We welcome the acknowledgement, by the Special Rapporteur, of the complexity and uniqueness of Brazil’s sociological context, in which economic, social, cultural, political and historic factors play a decisive role and contribute to explain the profound interbreeding of races Amerindian, European and African. It is also true that prejudice against people of African origin or mixed parentage, or racial discrimination through denial, to use the Rapporteur’s own words, occurs mainly on a social and economic basis, because those people constitute a majority within the underprivileged and excluded segments of society. "... the reference made in paragraph 60 of the report to an alleged ’policy of ethnic genocide’ is in my delegation’s view entirely unjustified. "On the other hand, we cannot conceal our disagreement with the Special Rapporteur’s interpretation that biological and cultural intermingling would be a cause of social stratification and of ethnoregional imbalance. Rather than an integrationist message and a basis for exclusion of any race, miscegenation is viewed in Brazil as one of the most positive aspects of the country’s social life. The fact that descendants of African slaves and immigrants from Europe and Asia felt more integrated in the Brazilian ’melting pot’ than in other multiracial societies might explain why physical appearance and the colour of skin - as surprising as it may appear to the Rapporteur - tend to prevail over any kind of race classification based upon legal definitions and scientific theories. "By creating uncountable gradations of skin colour, miscegenation has succeeded to curb social tensions and to avoid serious divisions and segregation in the Brazilian society. Rather than avoiding the racial issue, the Brazilian Government is doing its utmost to reduce the social inequalities so that the assertion of multiracial democracy can finally become a reality." 12. The parts of that statement regarding measures taken by the Brazilian Government to eradicate racism and racial discrimination, in particular the "National Human Rights Programme" presented by President Fernando Henrique Cardoso and published by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice, will be included in section IV, which will be devoted to measures taken by Governments. 13. During 1996, the Special Rapporteur will endeavour to continue his study of the realities of the situation in other countries. He wishes to inform the General Assembly that the Government of Colombia has agreed to a visit from /...