A/HRC/43/47/Add.1 V. Positive steps and development 23. The enormous strides made by Spain in the field of human rights since it transitioned to democracy in 1977/78 are not always fully appreciated or sufficiently acknowledged. The country’s more than 40 years of democracy has led to a modern and dynamic State that is fully engaged in European and international institutions, with an effective government, an independent judiciary and forms of autonomy that respond in part to the reality of a State with a rich cultural diversity. Spain is not a federation, but a highly decentralized unitary State. The 17 autonomous communities have greatly contributed to the more effective political participation of the country’s largest minorities, such as the Basque, Catalan and Galician minorities, and have provided means for recognizing and implementing the rights of such minorities in areas such as language and culture. This has been a defining development in the country’s path to a democracy that is more inclusive and embraces its historical diversity and the reality of its rich tapestry of languages, cultures and religions. 24. Spain has made many legislative, institutional and policy strides in areas such as human rights protection, the combating of gender violence, and the inclusion of Roma communities, although many of the initiatives in these areas were hit hard during the severe financial crisis of 2008–2014. The operational plans established to implement the National Roma Integration Strategy in Spain 2012–2020, along with numerous other measures, have undoubtedly contributed to a decrease in illiteracy, an increase in school attendance and other positive and measurable outcomes. Spain recognized its two main sign languages in 2007 and has taken steps to ensure the use of sign language in a number of areas, although its recognition and support tends to focus on Spanish Sign Language and not Catalan Sign Language. There have been innovative initiatives to better assist and integrate the increasing numbers of migrants and foreigners, such as Moroccans and Romanians, arriving and staying in Spain, including some provision of information and assistance in their languages. 25. In 2006, the Government incorporated into its educational system a course entitled “Education for citizenship and human rights”, in accordance with recommendation Rec(2002)12 on education for democratic citizenship, issued by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to member States. 26. Spain must be commended for these and other measures. However, human rights issues in relation to minorities at times feel like an “unfinished story”. These include continuing challenges or lacunae in a number of cross-cutting matters, such as the language of education, as well as issues specific to long-established minorities or to more recent arrivals regarding the nature of their rights as minorities. VI. Areas of concern and areas for further improvement in the recognition, protection and implementation of the human rights of minorities 27. The Government has taken significant steps in recent years towards a fairly comprehensive strategy and initiatives to tackle discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes against minorities and other vulnerable groups. The Special Rapporteur urges, however, the Government to undertake additional steps, improvements and changes in areas where further efforts may be needed to ensure the country’s full compliance with its international human rights obligations in relation to minorities. Furthermore, he notes that some unfortunate developments need to be addressed. The elimination of human rights and citizenship education as a distinct course in schools, and its replacement with a more general class on civic and constitutional education as an interdisciplinary topic, in the academic year 2014/15, was not particularly helpful in terms of promoting an inclusive, tolerant society through education, and should be reconsidered. 6