A/HRC/4/19/Add.3 page 14 33. In St. Petersburg, the Vice-Governor and other local authorities informed the Special Rapporteur of the Programme on Tolerance (2006-2010), which features several measures aimed at educating for tolerance in schools, teaching public officials - including law enforcement officials - on appropriate communication strategies in their interaction with foreigners, and providing support to media coverage of successful results in the fight against xenophobia. Within this programme, meetings gathering local authorities, representatives of the police and the justice system and potential victims of racism and xenophobia - notably foreign students - are regularly organized in order to discuss appropriate protection strategies against racist violence. 34. In view of strengthening the collaboration with civil society, State officials noted that the recently established Public Chamber, a consultative body integrated by civil society representatives with the aim of channelling the civil society views to the Government and the Parliament, will have among its major tasks the elaboration of studies on manifestations of extremism, including racial discrimination and xenophobia, and issue non-binding recommendations thereon. III. VIEWS OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND COMMUNITIES CONCERNED A. Concerns in response to State policies and measures 35. Representatives of civil society organizations generally expressed utmost concern at the manifestations of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia, in particular the most recent and violent ones, which are viewed to be increasingly permeating the Russian society. According to a majority of them, racism and discrimination in Russia have deep historical and cultural roots, which go beyond the deterioration of the socio-economic situation. The Orthodox Church, while strongly condemning racism and xenophobia and calling for mutual respect for and development of the traditional denominations in Russia through the promotion of inter-religious dialogue, noted that most violent manifestations of racism and xenophobia are committed by youth affected by socio-economic difficulties. 36. Despite recent statements at the highest State level acknowledging the existence of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia, a considerable increase of prosecutions and convictions including racial hatred as a motivating factor, and a greater presence of police in certain areas, most human rights organizations share the conviction that authorities are not properly addressing the situation and that major pressing efforts need to be carried out, both in the political, legal and cultural fields, to develop an effective and comprehensive strategy at federal level to combat racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia. 37. While some voiced the need to improve the existing legal framework, civil society organizations unanimously called for the improvement of the implementation of the existing anti-discrimination legislation. The poor record of convictions on the grounds of national, racial or religious hatred is attributed to several reasons: the non-application, deliberately or by ignorance, by many judiciary and law enforcement officials of the relevant provisions of the Criminal Code; the refusal or reluctance of victims, particularly ethnic minorities, to file a complaint fearing retaliatory, unlawful or discriminatory reactions by the police; the understaffing faced by the police, sometimes resulting in the lack of appropriate action when