A/HRC/11/36 page 5 B. Outcome document of the Durban Review Conference 5. The Special Rapporteur notes that, eight years since the Durban Conference, there remains an unprecedented level of disinformation and misinformation concerning the contents of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur believes that specific awareness-raising activities regarding the content of both the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the outcome document of the Durban Review Conference should be undertaken in order to ensure that public information concerning the objectives of these landmark texts are widely disseminated, particularly among the media. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur also recalls that the outcome document called on the United Nations system, in particular the Department of Public Information, to undertake effective media campaigns to enhance the visibility of the message of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and its follow-up mechanisms (para. 143). 6. The outcome document of the Durban Review Conference also contains a number of provisions that will directly and specifically guide the work of international mechanisms and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in the fight against racism. The Special Rapporteur makes particular reference to the recommendation that examples of best practices be compiled and duly publicized by OHCHR (para. 50) as a means to inform policymaking around the world. Creating the institutional framework for the adequate promotion and sharing of best practices in the fight against racism will help the international community draw on positive lessons that can be transferred to other contexts, which is indeed one of the important roles the United Nations system can play in this process. C. Freedom of expression and the fight against racism 7. The issue of freedom of expression and the fight against racism has been one of the key questions during negotiations on the outcome document of the Durban Review Conference. The Special Rapporteur believes that the text agreed upon at the Review Conference represents a landmark in the way the United Nations human rights system will approach this question in the years to come. In this regard, he commends all Member States involved in the negotiations for ably finding such common ground, which will facilitate the implementation of these commitments in the future. 8. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the fact that the outcome document unambiguously recognizes the positive role that freedom of opinion and expression can play in combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance (para. 54) and that it constitutes one of the essential foundations of a democratic and pluralistic society (para. 58). 9. At the same time, the outcome document also expresses concern over the rise in recent years of acts of incitement to hatred, which have targeted and severely affected racial and religious communities and persons belonging to racial and religious minorities. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur recalls that the outcome document resolved to, as stipulated in article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, fully and effectively prohibit any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence. In addition, the outcome document also makes reference to article 4 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and general recommendation No. 14 of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, by

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