 The Declaration was an important precursor to the legally binding Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.The Declaration follows the structure of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with a preamble followed by eleven articles.Article 1 declares that discrimination on the basis of race, colour or ethnicity is "an offence to human dignity" and condemns it as a violation of the principles underlying the United Nations Charter, a violation of human rights and a threat to peace and security.