A/HRC/30/56 dependency; pollution, deterioration and destruction of the environment). Women of African descent found that their situation had worsened because of discrimination and that they suffered by virtue of their ethnicity. Ms. Thomas further highlighted ongoing strategies aimed at reducing health inequities, including through targeted work at the inter-agency and country level, by focusing on tuberculosis, other communicable diseases and mental health, as well as on various awareness-raising activities. 22. Lisa Wong of the International Labour Organization (ILO) presented a paper on the topic “People of African descent and the labour market: limited progress”. She stated that the elimination of discrimination in employment occupation and the promotion of equality of opportunities had been at the core of the work of ILO. However, discrimination based on race continued to affect millions of workers worldwide. She pointed out the multiple forms of discrimination faced by women of African descent, such as the combined effects of the economic crisis, renewed debates about multiculturalism in society, plus the resurgence of intolerance and xenophobic sentiment in many parts of the world. Wage discrimination and racial stereotypes in workplaces, limited access to formal education and vocational training were mentioned as some of the major challenges Enactment and enforcement of legislation prohibiting and preventing discrimination at work, promotion of equal opportunities at work, education, training and awareness, were some of the important means of tackling the challenge, in which ILO was actively engaged. She also provided a number of examples from various countries in that regard. 23. Mr. Gumedze, member of the Working Group, delivered a presentation on the topic “The effects of racial discrimination on development in Africa”. Mr. Gumedze asserted that racial discrimination negated development and impeded the enjoyment of the right to development in Africa. He stated that the legacy of apartheid in South Africa, racial discrimination in Madagascar and Tunisia, the genocide in Rwanda as a result of discrimination on grounds of ethnicity, modern slavery in Mauritania and the Sudan and the prevalence of discrimination against people with albinism in Africa provided several indicative examples of racial discrimination in Africa. He recommended that the Working Group focus on those issues, which adversely affected the development of the continent. 24. During the interactive debate following the panel discussion, a number of participants commented and asked the panellists questions on the respective presentations. Ms. Fanon Mendès-France asked the presenters about the barriers to quality education. Ms. Shepherd commented that it was essential that development should not only be looked at from an economic perspective, its linkages to culture were equally important. Mr. Guzmedze commented on the importance of cultural education, while Mr. Sunga requested further information on culturally appropriate health services. In response, Mr. Balcerzak pointed out that it was essential to look into education systems that promoted scholarships and included issues relating to the history and culture of people of African descent, as ways to address barriers to education. Ms. Thomas responded that the participation of people of African descent and the principle of accessible, affordable and acceptable health services were important elements in ensuring culturally appropriate health services. The representative of Uruguay requested further information on the impact of quotas, to which Ms. Wong responded that there was very little information available on the evaluation of the impact of the different quotas that had been put in place at the national level. 25. The third panel of the session focused on the International Decade for People of African Descent. The Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards and Ambassador of South Africa, Abdul Samad Minty, delivered his statement. He stated that most people of African descent continued to live in conditions of extreme poverty exacerbated by the current economic and financial crises, which were cascading effects of the slave trade, the transatlantic slave trade, enslavement 6