UNITED NATIONS, March 21 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the international community on Wednesday to work harder in eliminating racial discrimination.

    "Much more remains to be done," Ban said in a message delivered on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This year's theme is "Racism and Discrimination --Obstacles to Development."

    "Racist practices hurt their victims, but they also limit the promise of entire societies where they are tolerated," Ban said. "Where un-addressed, they can cause social unrest and conflict, undermining stability and economic growth."

    Ban recalled that on March 21, 1960, police opened fire on peaceful demonstrators protesting racially discriminatory laws in Sharpeville, South Africa. Sixty-nine people died and scores more were injured.

    Despite significant progress against discrimination in the past few decades, Ban said, recent reports point to a disturbing rise in incidents of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in many parts of the world.

    "We must disavow discriminatory and intolerant acts in our personal lives, and speak out forcefully against them in the public sphere," the UN chief said.

    "Laws on the books haven't always translated into improved conditions on the ground. And numerous countries have yet to formulate and implement effective anti-discrimination policies. In fact, 42 years after it was adopted, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination still falls well short of universal ratification," he said.

    "Given the connection between racism and development, these actions should be seen as an integral part of local and national efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015," Ban added.