A/71/297 limited. It was agreed that some action in that area was necessary, in cooperation with the Working Group and the internal groups at the World Bank, with a view to promoting the aims of the Decade. 24. At the Inter-American Development Bank, the delegation discussed ways of possible cooperation and sharing of experiences in promoting visibility and development policies aimed at improving the well-being of people of African descent in Latin America and the Caribbean region. The Working Group noted the efforts of the Inter-American Development Bank in collecting disaggregated data on people of African descent and in organizing projects that promoted development with the identity of indigenous people and people of African descent at its core. 25. The Working Group also planned to undertake a mission to meet with representatives of operational programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations system and to continue to explore ways in which it could make proposals and contribute to development programmes intended to bene fit people of African descent. E. Thematic research combating racial stereotypes 26. During the period under review, the Working Group began thematic research on the issue of racial stereotyping of people of African descent, as an area of work for continued efforts to combat negative racial stereotypes. 27. The Working Group studied racial stereotypes faced by people of African descent around the world including the role of blackface in public events, such as Black Pete in the Sinterklaas festival in the Netherlands, and the prevalence of such racial stereotypes in the media and advertisements. 28. The blackface phenomenon, which portrays people of African descent in a negative light, remains a global concern. It dehumanizes people of African descen t and attacks their dignity and rights. The contemporary manifestation of blackface is indicative of the increasing prevalence of racial stereotypes . Among other things, it is a product of past inhumane practices such as enslavement, colonialism and apartheid. It was perpetrated by Jim Crow and nurtured by those who refused to acknowledge that people of African descent were victims of slavery, the slave trade, colonialism and apartheid. 29. Racial stereotyping of people of African descent is taking place around the world and must be addressed as an unacceptable phenomenon. Stereotypes are the result of limited knowledge, misinterpretations, shortcomings of education and the negative portrayal of people of African descent in the media and works of art. For example, people of African descent are rarely present in films, and when they are present have secondary or supporting roles only. 30. Ignorance of the world and of Africans does not help efforts to address the matter of stereotyping. There is a failure to consider the African perspective and a lack of an awareness of the African contribution to society. A purist attitude prevents a more inclusive society that is open to diversity. A history of colonization has also introduced values that do not take into account the African view of the world. Global media in its pervasiveness has reinforced such values, which give little importance to African characteristics. 16-13578 7/11