A/52/498 English Page 6 linguistic and religious minorities in Belarus. The Committee expressed concern, however, at the lack of concrete information concerning the implementation of the Act on National Minorities, as well as the lack of information on the participation in public life of ethnic minorities. 23. In its concluding observations on the report of Pakistan (CERD/C/304/Add.25), the Committee welcomed the institutions and measures that had been established to promote and protect minority rights, such as the Minorities Affairs Division, the National Commission for Minorities, the Federal Advisory Council for Minority Affairs, the Districts Minority Committees, the National Committee on the Kalash People, and the monthly holding of meetings with minority members of the National Assembly (para. 6). The Committee welcomed the repeal of the separate electoral system, which allowed members of minorities to vote only for certain reserved seats in elections, as well as the fact that members of minorities were currently entitled to participate directly in the general election process, in addition to electing their own representatives. The Committee expressed concern, however, that the policy of Pakistan to recognize only religious minorities excluded ethnic, linguistic or racial groups living in the country from any specific protection under the Convention that would derive from their official recognition as minorities (para. 12). The Committee also noted that it was unclear whether the various languages spoken in the country could be used in the courts. The Committee recommended that the State party explore the possibility of granting the same status as that of the religious minorities to other ethnic and linguistic groups in order to ensure their full protection under the national laws and institutions relating to minorities as well as relevant international human rights instruments. 24. In its concluding observations on the report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (CERD/C/304/Add.20), the Committee welcomed the measures taken to increase the participation of members of ethnic minorities in public and government office and in the police, as well as the adoption of a 10-point action plan to raise the achievement of ethnic minority pupils. The Committee recommended that the United Kingdom continue to strengthen its efforts towards the full enjoyment by all ethnic groups of all the rights provided for in article 5 of the Convention. 25. In its concluding observations on the report of Germany (CERD/C/304/Add.24), the Committee commended the German authorities for the improved curricula at various levels of schooling starting from an early age, encompassing instruction about other cultures and religions, which aimed to instil in the young a feeling of respect for all human beings regardless of ethnic origin or religious affiliation. The Committee expressed its concern that although Germany had accorded the status of ethnic minority and provided special protection to four small ethnic groups traditionally resident in Germany, it had left numerically much larger ethnic groups without any specific protection, in particular members of those ethnic groups who had long-term residence status or who had become German citizens. In its suggestions and recommendations, the Committee encouraged Germany to continue exploring ways of providing specific protection to all ethnic groups living within its territory. 26. In its concluding observations on the report of Bulgaria (CERD/C/304/Add.29), the Committee welcomed the positive measures that Bulgaria had adopted to combat /...