A/55/280 adoption of a resolution dealing specifically with aggravated discrimination; prevention programmes; production of appropriate textbooks. (b) The Conference against discrimination could, within the context of its declaration and programme of action, devote some thought to aggravated discrimination; 117. States could also use the following means: information and communication; dialogue between and within religious groups; town planning policies; democracy and development. (c) Protection against aggravated discrimination in the context of existing conventions and other instruments could be strengthened through review and follow-up procedures and through deadlines for consideration. 118. The Special Rapporteur is currently preparing a second study on racial discrimination, religious intolerance and education. This study will meet his constant concern to prevent racial and religious discrimination. Pursuant to paragraph 8 of the abovementioned Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/33, it should help, within the context of the mandate on religious intolerance, to promote the concept of “preventive action”, which is the goal that the High Commissioner emphasized in relation to the World Conference against Racism in her general report on the follow-up to the World Conference on Human Rights (E/CN.4/2000/12, para. 21). 115. Internal protection. This will mean improving legal protection, in particular under criminal legislation: (a) Each State should provide judicial guarantees to ensure that freedom of religion or belief and membership of an ethnic and religious group are protected in a concrete manner by explicit provisions. It would be desirable for some States to enact general legislation based on international standards; (b) States must make efforts to enact legislation or to modify existing legislation, as appropriate, in order to prohibit all discrimination based on identification of individuals with multiple groups. Most importantly, positive criminal legislation should be enacted, not only imposing severe penalties on single forms of discrimination, but above all defining a new offence, that of aggravated racial and religious discrimination, which should carry a specific penalty, and naturally one that is heavier than that imposed for single forms of discrimination, whether religious or racial; (c) Establishment of an independent equalopportunity authority to monitor racial and religious discrimination. B. Prevention of aggravated discrimination 116. Education and training. States need to ensure that, whatever the ethnic and religious make-up of the society, their education system is capable of observing the following principles, which form the basis of a policy striking at the roots of aggravated discrimination: encouragement through education and teaching; prohibition against segregating classes according to membership of ethnic and religious groups; condemnation of racism in schools; appropriate 26 119. The recommendations of that study will also be intended to give States guidance for their preventive actions in the area of education. The Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 2000/85 of 27 April 2000 on the rights of the child, under the heading “Education”, asked States to ensure that emphasis is given to the qualitative aspects of education and that education is directed, inter alia, to the development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and to the preparation of the child for a responsible life in a free society, in a spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, gender equality and friendship among peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups, and persons of indigenous origin; and to take all appropriate measures to prevent racist, discriminatory and xenophobic attitudes and behaviour, through education, keeping in mind the important role that children have to play in changing these practices. 120. Finally, this study will provide additional guidance to the conference on school education in relation to freedom of religion and belief, tolerance and non-discrimination, which is scheduled for November 2001.