A/HRC/16/45 country teams, particularly with regard to innovative new practice using computer technology to compile and process large quantities of context-specific data. 75. The special procedures of the Human Rights Council, including the independent expert on minority issues, and the treaty monitoring bodies are well placed to identify the warning signs of impending conflicts, including those affecting minorities. In October 2009, a United Nations round table on special procedures entitled “Early Warning and Emerging Issues”19 was held in New York. Participants emphasized the contribution that these mechanisms can make to a better understanding of complex situations, for example involving systemic exclusion and discrimination of certain minority groups. Participants recommended strengthening the capacity of the special procedures to contribute to early warning, including by ensuring that their recommendations were communicated more effectively to the United Nations field presences, and ensuring that data revealing patterns of severe abuses were communicated as early warnings. 76. Historically, channels of communication between the human rights institutions in Geneva and the peace and security bodies in New York have not been optimal. A number of significant improvements have taken place, notably the enhancement of the status of a New York presence of OHCHR, now headed by an Assistant Secretary-General, and regular briefings to the Security Council by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 77. Reflecting on the experience of regional inter-governmental organizations, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, established in 2003 to consider how the United Nations should address newly arising security, environmental and developmental challenges, recommended that the United Nations build on the experience of regional organizations in developing frameworks for minority rights (A/59/565, para. 94). B. Regional organizations 78. OSCE has established a specific mechanism to address conflicts involving minorities, the High Commissioner on National Minorities.20 The High Commissioner acts as an early warning and early action mechanism, primarily through the use of preventive diplomacy. The High Commissioner can visit countries, engage with representatives of all sides, and propose constructive solutions based on a broad knowledge of approaches worldwide. The High Commissioner has developed a number of guidelines to help national and international actors to address issues that have a potential to cause conflict, including education, language rights, political participation and the involvement of “kin States” (States whose majority community is ethnically related to a minority in a neighbouring State). 79. Preventive diplomacy can be most effective when tensions first arise between a Government and a minority, and they are relatively susceptible to third party engagement. Envoys may work discreetly and all parties may be willing to calmly present their concerns, and to explore possible solutions. When a situation develops from these initial tensions to actual incidences of violence, positions begin to harden and resistance to compromise grows. It becomes more difficult for leaders to make compromises as the depth of feeling and emotion among their constituencies increases. 19 20 18 Available from http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/chr/special/docs/BPRoundTable.doc. Available from www.osce.org/hcnm/13022.html.