CERD concluding observations 2016, paragraph 16

The Committee recommends that the State party, including the governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the British overseas territories and the Crown dependencies: (a) Investigate all reported racist hate crimes, prosecute the perpetrators and punish them with sanctions commensurate with the gravity of the offence, and provide effective remedies to the victims. (b) Systematically collect disaggregated data on hate crimes, ensure that measures to combat racist hate crimes are developed with the meaningful participation of groups affected, and undertake a thorough impact assessment of the measures adopted, in order to ensure their continued effectiveness. (c) Adopt concrete measures, in consultation with groups affected, to increase the reporting of racist hate crimes, by ensuring that the reporting mechanism is transparent and accessible and that victims have trust in the police and the justice system. (d) Taking into account the Committee’s general recommendation No. 35 (2013) on combating racist hate speech, adopt comprehensive measures to combat racist hate speech and xenophobic political discourse, including on the Internet, particularly with regard to the application of appropriate sanctions, and ensure that public officials not only refrain from such speech but also formally reject hate speech and condemn the hateful ideas expressed, so as to promote a culture of tolerance and respect. (e) Take effective measures to combat racist media coverage, taking into account the Committee’s general recommendation No. 35 (2013) on combating racist hate speech, and ensure that such cases are thoroughly investigated, and where appropriate, that sanctions are imposed.