Other relevant bodies in the United Nations system 81 UNESCO has upheld its commitment to this mandate by, among other actions, mobilizing the scientific community to refute the concept of “race”. UNESCO has drafted international instruments that outline standard principles, concepts and universal criteria to support the fight against racism and discrimination, which serve as key standards to thwart threats to peace and social stability. By far the most important instrument elaborated by UNESCO in this domain is its 1978 Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice,86 which represents a milestone in the development of international normative instruments in this area and remains a key reference point for UNESCO in its struggle against racism and intolerance. UNESCO participated actively in the Durban Conference. Many of the recommendations of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action relate to its mandate, such as those on education and awareness-raising, information, communication and the media, and data collection and research. In addition, UNESCO was expressly called upon to act in specific areas linked to its constitutional mandate. Its work against racism and all forms of discrimination was further entrenched by its adoption in 2003 of an Integrated Strategy to Combat Racism, Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.87 Education and minorities The right to education is at the heart of the mission of UNESCO and is an integral part of its constitutional mandate. In 1960, UNESCO adopted the Convention against Discrimination in Education, which acknowledges the crucial role of education in ensuring equality of opportunity for members of all racial, national or ethnic groups. It was the first time that a binding instrument in the United Nations system contained a detailed definition of the term “discrimination”, which is defined as “any distinction, exclusion, limitation or preference which, being based on race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, economic condition or birth, has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing equality of treatment in education …”. The Convention calls on States to adopt immediate measures in favour of equality in education and it links the concept of education directly to human rights. Minority communities are among the world’s most educationally disadvantaged and UNESCO gives them special focus in its education programme. The Education for All (EFA) 2000 Assessment suggested many ways in which schools can respond to the needs of their pupils, including through affirmative action programmes for girls to remove obstacles to their enrolment, bilingual education for the children of ethnic minorities, and imaginative and diverse approaches to engage children who are not enrolled in school.88 UNESCO has also been actively involved in the implementation of the World Programme for Human Rights Education, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2004. UNESCO advocates the inclusion of human rights principles and values within education systems and encourages States to develop and implement national plans of action for inclusive human rights education. UNESCO has produced Guidelines on Intercultural Education to help policymakers understand the key issues concerning intercultural education with emphasis on minorities. Drawing from the key standard-setting instruments and numerous conferences, they present concepts and principles to guide future activities and policymaking. E/CN.4/Sub.2/1982/2/Add.1, annex V. 86 Available from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001312/131202e.pdf (accessed 3 December 2012). 87 See www.unesco.org/education/efa/efa_2000_assess/index.shtml (accessed 3 December 2012). 88