A/HRC/30/56 underdevelopment, which tend to have a disproportionate impact on people of African descent. 60. Civil society should be encouraged to form national, regional and international networks to share learning, experiences and good practices, raise awareness of the situation of people of African descent and carry out joint advocacy and development initiatives, and develop capacity-building programmes intended for people of African descent with a particular focus on developing leadership skills. Civil society is also encouraged to increase its cooperation with the Working Group. 61. In the context of the International Decade for People of African Descent, the Working Group urges Governments, financial and development institutions and the funds and programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations, in accordance with their regular budgets and the procedures of their governing bodies, to assign particular priority, and allocate sufficient funding, within their areas of competence and budgets, to improving the situation of Africans and people of African descent, while devoting special attention to the needs of these populations in developing countries, inter alia through the preparation of specific programmes of action for the implementation of the programme of activities of the Decade. 62. The Working Group encourages Governments, with the assistance of specialized agencies and international development and financial institutions as appropriate, to collect and compile reliable statistical data on the political, economic and social conditions of people of African descent and to disseminate such information widely, not only in order to undertake specific development projects but also to empower all stakeholders in the fight to improve the situation of these people. 63. Consistent with existing human rights commitments, States should also address poverty alleviation that eliminates racial discrimination, including through the implementation of development initiatives aimed at realizing the rights of people of African descent, in a manner appropriate to their culture and identity; ensure the full, active and meaningful participation of people of African descent throughout development programme cycles; and adopt measures to preserve, protect and restore the traditional knowledge of people of African descent. 64. States should take concrete measures to eliminate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in the workplace against all workers, in particular Africans and people of African descent, including migrants and women, and ensure the full equality of all before the law, including labour law. States should ensure that workers’ rights of people of African descent, including those relating to fair and equal wages, are protected, by increasing the effectiveness of legislation that prohibits all discriminatory practices in employment and the labour market that affect people of African descent, including through the implementation of special measures to promote the employment of people of African descent in public administration, as well as in private companies, including affirmative action policies such as quota systems. 65. States should involve people of African descent in designing and implementing health-based programmes and projects, ensuring that quality health services are available and accessible without discrimination, particularly in rural and marginalized areas with large populations of people of African descent, and that services are provided in a culturally appropriate manner and accessible to people of African descent, including the most vulnerable. 66. States should take all the measures necessary to give effect to the right of people of African descent, particularly children and young people, to free primary education and access to all levels and forms of quality public education without discrimination. Measures should be taken to increase the number of teachers of African descent 13