A/RES/61/149 parties to the Convention to comply with their treaty obligations, and reaffirms the importance of the provision of technical assistance to the requesting countries in the preparation of their reports to the Committee; 17. Invites States parties to the Convention to ratify the amendment to article 8 of the Convention on the financing of the Committee, and calls for adequate additional resources from the regular budget of the United Nations to enable the Committee to discharge its mandate fully; 18. Urges all States parties to the Convention to intensify their efforts to implement the obligations that they have accepted under article 4 of the Convention, with due regard to the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 11 and article 5 of the Convention; 19. Welcomes the work of the Committee in applying the Convention to the new and contemporary forms of racism and racial discrimination; 20. Recalls that the Committee holds that the prohibition of the dissemination of ideas based on racial superiority or racial hatred is compatible with the right to freedom of opinion and expression as outlined in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in article 5 of the Convention; 21. Welcomes the emphasis placed by the Committee on the importance of follow-up to the World Conference and the measures recommended to strengthen the implementation of the Convention as well as the functioning of the Committee; 12 III Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 22. Acknowledges that the outcome of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance is on an equal footing with the outcomes of all the major United Nations conferences, summits and special sessions in the human rights and social fields; 23. Also acknowledges that the World Conference, which was the third world conference against racism, was significantly different from the previous two conferences, as evidenced by the inclusion in its title of two important components relating to contemporary forms of racism, namely, xenophobia and related intolerance; 24. Emphasizes that the basic responsibility for effectively combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance lies with States, and to this end stresses that States have the primary responsibility to ensure full and effective implementation of all commitments and recommendations contained in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;1 25. Also emphasizes the fundamental and complementary role of national human rights institutions, regional bodies or centres and civil society, working jointly with States towards the achievement of the objectives of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; _______________ 11 Resolution 217 A (III). See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 18 (A/57/18), chap. XI, sect. E. 12 5