A/66/313 framework for the protection of minorities’ rights. He recommended an effective empowerment of members of minorities. 53. The Special Rapporteur stressed that the situation of Roma individuals, who represented the largest minority group in Hungary, had worsened in the last years, as also recognized by Government officials. They faced racism and racial discrimination, including segregation in the area of education, and were exposed to violence and abuse. Being aware of the historical roots of the current situation of Roma and the difficulties in fixing it, the Special Rapporteur underlined the urgent need for a strong political will to address their situation. There was a great urgency to reinvigorate the education of Roma with all the necessary resources of the Government of Hungary. It was essential that Hungary develop a comprehensive approach for Roma and elaborate a consolidated and coordinating programme of implementation at all levels, starting at the local level. The gap between Hungary’s engagement at the international level and the commitment of local governments must be filled in that regard. 54. Finally, the Special Rapporteur underlined that immediate action was required to tackle anti-Semitism. He also called upon the vigilance of the Government vis-àvis the resurgence of extremist political parties, movements and groups, some of which were alleged to have a racist platform, and he drew the attention of the Government to the recurrence of hate speech. 2. Forthcoming missions 55. The Special Rapporteur would like to thank the Government of Bolivia, which has accepted his request to visit the country. He plans to undertake the mission before the end of 2011. He would like also to thank the Government of South Africa for inviting him to conduct a mission, which he plans to carry out as soon as possible. 56. The Special Rapporteur is very much looking forward to engaging in a constructive dialogue, respectively, with the authorities of the Governments of Bolivia and South Africa on all matters related to his mandate. B. Thematic press releases 57. On 10 December 2010, in a joint statement delivered by the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures on behalf of mandate holders of the Human Rights Council on the occasion of Human Rights Day, 10 the Special Rapporteur paid tribute to human rights defenders who act against discrimination globally and called for their greater protection. Human rights defenders were the front line of efforts to confront discrimination and all violations of rights — their work was vital, yet they were frequently under threat and must be better protected. On that occasion, the Special Rapporteur also emphasized that human rights defenders had advanced the human rights agenda and brought the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights closer to reality in their societies, promoting equality, the rule of law and justice through their commitment and sacrifices. They had helped to shape the laws and policies that established that no one should be the victim of discrimination. He further underlined that human rights defenders and non-governmental __________________ 10 11-45818 The full text of the press release is available from www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/ DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=10587&LangID=E. 15