A/HRC/7/19 page 20 deterioration in their living conditions, poverty, violence, multiple forms of discrimination, and the limitation or denial of their human rights”. Meaningful work in the areas of legislation, the judiciary and education must be accompanied by strong political will to put an end to this form of discrimination. IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 72. The Special Rapporteur invites the Human Rights Council to draw the attention of member States to the alarming signs of regression in efforts to combat racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia, particularly the upsurge in racist violence, and to remind them of the crucial importance of political will in the refusal to trivialize racism, xenophobia and intolerance, the rejection of their use in politics and electoral campaigns, and the systematic combating of racist and xenophobic political platforms. 73. In this regard, he invites the Council to encourage member States to adopt, as a matter of urgency, national legislation to combat racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia, pursuant to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. 74. The Human Rights Council is invited to draw the attention of member States to the serious nature of the defamation of religion, anti-Semitism, Christianophobia and, more particularly, Islamophobia, and to promote the fight against these phenomena by strengthening interreligious and intercultural dialogue concerning the common ethics of all religions, the critical introspection required of all religions on the historical and theological sources of the defamation they are subjected to, and mutual understanding and joint action to meet the fundamental challenges of democracy, development, peace and the promotion of human rights. 75. The Council is invited to encourage member States to wage a systematic campaign against incitement to racial and religious hatred by maintaining a careful balance between the defence of secularism and respect for freedom of religion and by acknowledging and respecting the complementarity of all the freedoms embodied in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 76. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Human Rights Council remind member States of the link between efforts to combat racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia and the construction of democratic, interactive and egalitarian multiculturalism. 77. In the same spirit, the Council is invited to draw the attention of member States to the historical and cultural depth of racism. Efforts to combat racism must involve economic, social and political measures and relate to the question of culture and identity, namely the dialectic between respect for the cultural and religious identities of minority groups and communities, and the promotion of cross-fertilization and interaction between all national communities. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Council draw the attention of member States to the importance of developing an intellectual front against racism and, consequently, combating - through