A/67/326 principles of non-discrimination of any kind, including on the grounds of race, colour, descent and ethnic or national origin. Relevant private sector actors, in particular Internet intermediaries, can also support such efforts by providing access to networks and enabling online participation by diverse racial and ethnic groups and individuals. According to the studies released jointly in 2012 by the Internet Society, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, there is a strong correlation between the development of a network infrastructure and the growth of local content: the more developed the local Internet markets, the lower the reported prices for international bandwidth. 18 VII. Conclusions and recommendations 55. The Special Rapporteur notes that addressing the promotion of racial, ethnic and xenophobic hatred through the Internet now presents a fairly new and complex challenge to anti-racism efforts. He stresses, however, that the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and other international human rights instruments, in particular, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, provide a comprehensive and fairly robust framework for possible actions in combating this phenomenon. To that end, he welcomes the interest of and attention paid by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in elaborating interpretations of provisions of the Convention with regard to racial and ethnic hatred, and appreciates the contribution of the recent studies by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression on this matter. The Special Rapporteur is keen to promote dialogue on the issue and welcomes the support expressed by States and other United Nations mechanisms to proposals for further consultations on the issue of racism and the Internet. 56. The Special Rapporteur also notes that important legal and policy efforts have been undertaken at the regional and national levels to address the challenge of the propagation of racial, ethnic and xenophobic hatred and incitement through the Internet. Legislative measures are central to any strategy to combat racism, ethnic hatred and xenophobia, and the Special Rapporteur encourages those States that have not enacted legislation to combat and prevent racial, ethnic and xenophobic hatred through the Internet to consider the enactment of such legislation. Legislative measures must, however, take into account States’ obligations to protect other fundamental rights, such as the freedom of expression and opinion, as spelled out in both the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 57. Combating the use of the Internet to propagate racial, ethnic and xenophobic content and incitement to violence requires a multi-stakeholder approach. In that regard, the role of the private sector, in particular Internet service providers and other relevant industry players, is crucial. The Special __________________ 18 20 Internet Society, OECD and UNESCO, “The relationship between local content, Internet development and access prices” (2012). Available from http://www.internetsociety.org/ localcontent. 12-46982