A/73/305 III. Conclusions and recommendations 60. The first recommendation of the Special Rapporteur is that Member States actively and explicitly recognize that nationalist populist mobilizations threaten racial equality. Too often, public officials are reluctant to acknowledge the prevalence of racism, discrimination and related intolerance, and this state of denial itself can prevent action to combat discrimination and intolerance. Condemnation of racist and xenophobic nationalist populism must be swift and unequivocal. Political parties and their leadership also have a role to play here, given their significant influence on the political climate, as do multilateral agencies and regional bodies. The bold stand against racism and xenophobia taken by the outgoing United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, is emblematic of the action required. Acknowledging the nationalist populist threat to racial equality also means rejecting national narratives that erase racial, ethnic and religious minorities from national history and identity. All United Nations Member States and United Nations senior officials, including the Secretary-General, should follow the lead of the High Commissioner in taking a bold stance against racism and xenophobic hatred, including when this hatred and intolerance is falsely cloaked in concerns for national prosperity. 61. Where nationalist populist threatens racial equality, Member States are obliged to take action to combat this threat, in order to comply with their equality and non-discrimination obligations under international human rights law. This means taking all measures necessary to combat direct and indirect forms of racial discrimination, at all levels of government: national, provincial and even local. Local authorities play an especially vital role in the enforcement of human rights. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur would like to acknowledge local government authorities such as Domenico Lucano, 86 Mayor of Riace, Italy, who welcomed refugees who have gone on to give new life to their host communities. She would also like to acknowledge the civil society organizations and private individuals around the world who are fighting back against exclusionary populist nationalism, and to acknowledge the Afrodescendent, indigenous and other minority human rights defenders who risk their lives daily to hold their Governments to account for racial inequality. 62. Those combating racial and xenophobic discrimination and exclusion should carefully account for intersectionality, and how gender, disability status, sexual orientation and other social categories shape the experience of discrimination. Member States should actively reject the reinforcement of patriarchy and heteronormativity through laws that, in the name of national or traditional values, undercut the autonomy of women, and gender and sexual minorities. They should also take seriously the fact that an intersectional approach to fighting discrimination means including women, persons with disabilities, gender and sexual minorities and others in decision-making at all levels of government. 63. With respect to expression in particular, Member States should implement the concrete recommendations that other United Nations bodies, especially the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, have made that pertain to combating racist and xenophobic expression. General recommendation No. 35 is vital in this regard, and, owing to space constraints, its practical guidanc e is not recapitulated here, but instead incorporated by reference. In keeping with the Committee’s guidance, the Special Rapporteur urges States parties to __________________ 86 18-12945 See Thomas Bruckner, “Refugees revive fading Italian villages”, Al-Jazeera, 2 May 2016. 21/22