Scotland's progress towards establishing a powerful human rights watchdog has been praised by a senior UN official.

Bertrand Ramcharan, the UN deputy high commissioner for human rights, was addressing a conference discussing the plans.

Delegates also heard from Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace, who outlined the proposals for a Scottish Human Rights Commission, currently the subject of public consultation.

The commission could investigate how ministers and public bodies comply with all human rights treaties on subjects such as health, education and the environment.

Everyone who lives in our community is entitled to our protection Jim Wallace Deputy First Minister

It could demand witnesses and documents, although its inquiries will be on generic issues rather than specific cases and it would not be allowed to investigate matters reserved to Westminster.

Mr Ramcharan said few countries who had already established such a body had consulted so widely on the post.

"A human rights commission is central to the process where a society says to itself, 'human rights matter, we must constantly strive to strengthen the culture of human rights and we must never be content or rest on our laurels when it comes to protecting human rights, because there is no society that has a perfect human rights record'," he said.

Earlier Mr Wallace described Scotland's annual 3,000 reported racist incidents as a "staggering and disturbing statistic for a modern and forward-thinking country".

"Given the present international climate it is even more important that we take this seriously," he told delegates.

Defining move

"It is the government's job to protect the public from the threat of international terrorism and that will be done.

"But there is no excuse for those who might wish to use this as a reason to attack British muslims or refugees and asylum seekers.

"I want to make one thing very clear. Everyone who lives in our community is entitled to our protection and will receive it."

Mr Wallace went on: "Scotland's support for human rights and the establishment of a Human Rights Commission is important for us as a nation, as we define our place in Europe and the world."