A/64/271 public policies aiming at redressing racial or ethnic imbalances. For that reason, he encourages a shift away from the debate on whether or not to collect ethnically disaggregated data, to a discussion on how to best collect these data. In this respect, the Special Rapporteur proposes some key principles for the collection of ethnically disaggregated data that can help to overcome the concerns of many States: the right to privacy; the principle of self-identification; and the involvement of minority communities at every stage of the exercise. 41. The Special Rapporteur would like to recall that the central obligation of States not to discriminate is unambiguously contained in international human rights law. Such obligation is particularly important with regard to the full enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, which have a profound impact on the socio-economic situation of minority communities. 42. Whereas non-discrimination is essential to create a level playing field for different communities, the Special Rapporteur believes that non-discrimination on its own does not provide for the correction of imbalances which are the result of historical legacies, such as slavery and segregation. In this regard, there continues to be a need for the enactment of special measures, as provided for in article 1.4 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, towards groups that suffered from decades or centuries of discrimination, thus helping to transform the goal of integration and equal opportunities into a concrete reality for all. 43. In relation to the impact of the economic situation on racism, the Special Rapporteur also briefly addressed the possible negative consequences of the financial crisis on efforts to fight racism and xenophobia during the Wilton Park Conference on “Contemporary and future human rights challenges”, held from 22 to 24 January 2009 in West Sussex, United Kingdom. 44. On that occasion, the Special Rapporteur warned that the economic slowdown forecast for the next years could contribute to the emergence of ethnic and racial tensions in areas where migrants live. He stated that such tensions often arose when there were problems in the economy as a whole, and in particular in the labour and housing markets. With soaring unemployment and decreasing salaries, some groups might try to manipulate public opinion to generate strong anti-immigration backlashes and to blame migrants for current economic problems. These xenophobic expressions were at times intertwined with racial prejudices and stereotypes, as migrants could often be differentiated based on their race or ethnicity. 45. The Special Rapporteur recalled that a set of measures was required to prevent the rise of such xenophobic feelings and their translation into policy. States had to be vigilant regarding their human rights obligations, in particular vis-à-vis migrants. In that regard, appropriate institutions and legislation were required to punish those who discriminated, incited or perpetrated acts of violence against foreigners or members of minorities. More broadly, political leaders had to be sensitive to the impact of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, reaching out to minorities and demonstrating constant vigilance regarding their human rights situation. 09-45097 11