A/50/476 English Page 41 submit confidential affirmative action plans which include recruitment objectives and proposals as to how to attain them. 87/ 159. On 23 September 1993, the Government of Portugal established an Inter-departmental Commission on the Integration of Immigrants and Ethnic Minorities. It comprises four representatives of the Ministry of Employment and Social Security, one representative of the Inter-Cultural Programme conducted by the Ministry of Education, one representative of the National Institute of Housing and one representative of the Foreigners and Frontiers Service (Ministry of Internal Administration). Its functions are to attend to the living conditions of immigrants and inform itself of the measures and activities carried out by the various departments and institutions, and to determine the measures and strategies to be adopted by the sectors and departments working in the area that relates to the immigrant population and ethnic minorities. It designs and supports social and vocational integration programmes and activities, and coordinates and monitors the activities and programmes undertaken with the population. Lastly, it evaluates the results achieved. 88/ 160. "It is the Chinese Government’s policy to offer affirmative employment opportunities for minorities. Enterprises in minority areas are required to hire minorities first. In these areas, local governments set quotas for State enterprises to recruit workers from farming and pastoral communities." 89/ 161. "The Mexican authorities responsible for migration have developed, individually or in cooperation with the Governments of the United States and Guatemala, a series of measures ... designed to combat certain manifestations of discrimination against the most vulnerable groups of the population, particularly migrant workers." 90/ 162. Australia has allowed the indigenous inhabitants to take charge of a number of government programmes directed towards them. The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation is coordinating a 10-year programme designed to promote better understanding between indigenous and other Australians. 91/ D. Strengthening of legislation against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and anti-Semitism 163. In Sweden, racial motives have since 1 July 1994 been regarded as an aggravating factor in criminal cases. 92/ The law also supplements the measures designed to prevent ethnic discrimination in the field of employment. 164. In France, a new Penal Code resulting from 1992 legislation went into effect in 1 March 1994. While the legislation does not affect the area of press offences, 93/ it does strengthen the penalties for certain racist offences (racial discrimination, aggravated desecration of graves, criminal liability of bodies corporate), and creates new offences (non-public racial provocation, non-public racial defamation and insults). Moreover, the act of 6 December 1993 on safety at sports events created the offence of exhibiting at a sports event a symbol that evokes a racist ideology. /...

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