A/RES/66/143 persons, and in this regard urges States to fully comply with their relevant obligations, inter alia, under article 34 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949; 12 6. Notes with concern the increase in the number of racist incidents in several countries and the rise of skinhead groups, which have been responsible for many of these incidents, as well as the resurgence of racist and xenophobic violence targeting members of national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities, as observed by the Special Rapporteur in his latest report to the General Assembly; Reaffirms that such acts may be qualified to fall within the scope of 7. activities described in article 4 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination3 and that they may represent a clear and manifest abuse of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association as well as the rights to freedom of opinion and expression within the meaning of those rights as guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,1 the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights2 and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; 8. Stresses that the practices described above do injustice to the memory of the countless victims of crimes against humanity committed in the Second World War, in particular those committed by the SS organization and those who fought against the anti-Hitler coalition and collaborated with the Nazi movement, and poison the minds of young people, and that failure by States to effectively address such practices is incompatible with the obligations of States Members of the United Nations under its Charter and is incompatible with the purposes and principles of the Organization; Also stresses that such practices fuel contemporary forms of racism, 9. racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and contribute to the spread and multiplication of various extremist political parties, movements and groups, including neo-Nazis and skinhead groups, and in this regard calls for increased political and legal vigilance; 10. Emphasizes the need to take the measures necessary to put an end to the practices described above, and calls upon States to take more effective measures in accordance with international human rights law to combat those phenomena and the extremist movements, which pose a real threat to democratic values; 11. Recalls the recommendation of the Special Rapporteur, made in his latest report to the General Assembly, to introduce into domestic criminal law a provision according to which committing an offence with racist or xenophobic motivations or aims constitutes an aggravating circumstance allowing for enhanced penalties, and encourages those States whose legislation does not contain such provisions to consider that recommendation; 12. Reaffirms, in this regard, the particular importance of all forms of education, including human rights education, as a complement to legislative measures, as outlined by the Special Rapporteur; 13. Emphasizes the recommendation of the Special Rapporteur regarding the importance of history classes in teaching the dramatic events and human suffering that resulted from the ideologies of Nazism and Fascism; _______________ 12 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1125, No. 17512. 3