A/HRC/4/39
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64.
The Working Group believes that anti-racist auditing and monitoring, both internal and
external, are essential means of making sure that law enforcement agents respect the principle of
non-discrimination, which will increase the trust and cooperation of the population and boost the
efficiency of their actions.
65.
The Working Group believes that tolerance and coexistence are the lowest common
denominators for a society free of racism and discrimination. States should adopt appropriate
measures that aim to create and/or strengthen cohesive communities, where every individual has
a real sense of belonging to his or her community and State, as well as a stake in its well-being.
66.
The Working Group condemns the utilization of racist and discriminatory concepts by
political and community leaders. Their leadership is essential for prioritizing issues related to
the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
67.
The Working Group believes that States should prioritize, in the short-term, the
improvement of the professional conduct of law enforcement officers during stop and search
actions. The Working Group recognizes that in conjunction with this, and to prove a real
commitment to accountable and equitable policing, must go the creation of effective complaints
mechanisms that include external, civilian-led components.
68.
The Working Group is convinced that complaints mechanisms should be strengthened
and that complaints about discrimination against people of African descent by law enforcement
officers must be investigated with the utmost seriousness by the relevant bodies.
69.
The Working Group condemns institutionalized discrimination and believes that States
should eradicate such practices as a matter of urgency.
70.
The Working Group emphasizes the need for relevant, disaggregated and detailed data in
order to monitor the occurrence of racial profiling and to propose corrective measures. In this
respect, the Working Group urges States and relevant agencies to collect and publicize data on
their actions and on the profile of those subject to these actions, while complying with
international best practice in the protection of personal data.
71.
The Working Group encourages research, both by law enforcement organizations and by
external and independent actors, in order to detect and prove the existence of racial profiling.
72.
The Working Group believes the utilization of criteria such as race, religion, ethnicity,
nationality or skin colour in police procedures, aimed at identifying trends in criminal acts or
establishing a propensity for legal violations, leads to the stigmatization of people of African
descent and other groups which have historically been discriminated against and assigned
inferior status in society. The Working Group reaffirms that such practices violate the principles
of non-discrimination and equality.
73.
The Working Group affirms that terrorist profiling practices that are based on race violate
international human rights standards.
74.
The Working Group affirms that discrimination and intolerance against Muslims have
devastating effects not only on the daily lives of Muslim communities, but also on the societies
where they live. To remedy this negative and disturbing phenomenon, sound strategies and