E/CN.4/1996/72 page 40 of action to combat racism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism. It also established the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance. A European Parliament resolution of 23 April 1993 was the first to recognize Holocaust denial as an integral part of racist agitation. 10. In March 1993 the United Nations Commission on Human Rights condemned anti-Semitism for the first time in three decades, but this was not followed up by the World Conference on Human Rights, despite a recommendation to that effect by the Vienna NGO Forum. The United Nations did, however, create two new posts which were potentially of particular significance. The first was the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the second was the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, who was specifically charged in 1994 with monitoring manifestations of anti-Semitism. 11. During the summer of 1994 we submitted to the Special Rapporteur two volumes of research on contemporary forms of anti-Semitism, and in the fall of 1994 welcomed the opportunity of discussing the issue with the Special Rapporteur at great length. We thus looked forward to the appearance of the Special Rapporteur’s first report. 12. While we were encouraged by parts of the report, we were deeply distressed to find that certain sections contributed to the phenomenon it was written to combat: Paragraph 22 endorsed the view that anti-Semitism is "compounded by the economic power of the Jews". Paragraph 37 alleged that anti-Semitism is caused because "certain adherents of Judaism continue to treat Christ as an imposter". Paragraph 62 noted that the number of cases of anti-Semitic attacks in Germany had risen in the previous two years from 40 to 63, but concluded by minimalizing this number with the gratuitous comment: "Acts directly against Jews have ... increased to a lesser degree than those directed against foreigners in general". Furthermore, the use of the term "in general" conveyed the impression that Jewish citizens of Germany are to be regarded as foreigners. In paragraph 24 the report also lauded the UNESCO Conference on Cultural Policies, held in Mexico City in 1982, for its support of the equal dignity of all cultures and the affirmation of the value of cultural diversity. As participants in that conference, we found that in contrast to earlier UNESCO conferences and exhibits, it excluded any mention of Jewish culture and history. 13. It is our profound hope that these problematic references will be eliminated and that the United Nations will no longer be perceived to be promoting hateful anti-Semitic stereotypes. In that regard we respectfully urge the Special Rapporteur to recommend that the Commission on Human Rights, in keeping with the Copenhagen document of the CSCE, propose to the General Assembly that it forcefully condemn anti-Semitism and call upon all Member States to do the following: to condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms, to enact and implement legislation outlawing racial discrimination and racial incitement to violence, and to sponsor or conduct anti-bigotry programmes at all educational levels. -----