A/HRC/18/45 74. Ms. Sahli also mentioned the importance of identifying a common platform for people of African descent to convince States to revise legislation and constitutions in order to establish appropriate measures of affirmative action. 75. Pastor Murillo, a member of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, made a presentation on affirmative action and special measures. He emphasized the progress made in North America and in Europe owing to awareness-raising and positive action measures, as well as the temporary nature of affirmative action and a need for a continuous follow-up system on the application and results of these measures. This included the obligation of States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to provide information in their periodic review about special measures taken. While measures of affirmative action were sometimes criticized for being “positive discrimination” and violating the right to equality, Mr. Murillo stated that the use of the term “positive discrimination” should be avoided since it causes conceptual confusion. Contrary to opinions against affirmative action measures, he stated, they ensure representation of minorities and neutralize prejudices. Quotas were a suitable way to foster fairness. States needed to endorse affirmative action but very often lacked the political will to do so. 76. Mr. Sicilianos commented that there is a question as to whether preferential treatment of a vulnerable group should be stopped when equality is achieved. He also noted that further discussion might be necessary on the conceptual framework of ‘affirmative action measures’. 77. One observer from a non-governmental organization noted the particular importance of affirmative action in the area of education, stressing that education was the most appropriate means to combat rampant discrimination against people of African descent. 78. Mr. Murillo pointed out that there was consistent and coherent jurisprudence as well as general recommendations and guidelines from the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination pertaining to affirmative action that should be referred to and relied upon. 3. Discussion on the lack of knowledge of the culture, history and traditions of people of African descent 79. Ms. Shepherd made a presentation on the lack of knowledge of the culture, history and traditions of people of African descent, by themselves and others, and gave a detailed overview of the obstacles to the creation of Afro-centric societies in the Commonwealth Caribbean. She began by emphasizing that many people of African descent and of other origins were quite aware of the culture of Africa and maintained strong cultural connections with Africa, including in the areas of dance, language, religion, dress, hairstyles and cuisine, as well as through tangible sites of memory. She also pointed out that the teaching of African history in many educational institutions had resulted in a feeling of pride and dignity across the African diaspora. Ms. Shepherd explained, however, that despite great resistance to the elimination of African culture and tradition by the West, Afro-centricity had not permeated all sections of Caribbean societies, essentially because of the history of slavery and colonialism. She explained that colonial authorities tried actively to suppress all manifestations of African culture, and the remaining signs that could not be erased, such as speech patterns and skin colour, were incorporated into Creole society but were marked as inferior. 80. Ms. Shepherd pointed out that the persistence of colonial influences in Caribbean societies was an obstacle to an Afro-centric vision of their political, economic and education systems, despite great and continuing efforts to resist. Similarly, racism and the lack of respect for the culture, history and traditions of people of African descent in many 13