A/HRC/26/49/Add.1 sufficiently concrete to be measurable. Thus the Government should ensure that all the above elements are considered during the development of the plan, and in the lead-up to its adoption. 64. The Government and its partners should take the opportunity, through the development of the social cohesion strategy, to streamline and focus the various action plans and programmes related to ethnic and descent-based discrimination in order to avoid fragmentation of efforts which have the common objective of achieving an inclusive, diverse society based on human rights and equality. This could also be an opportunity to maximize already limited resources. 65. While being aware that data have to be used sensibly, the Government has to demonstrate its political will to address discrimination by investing in independent studies, assessments and surveys to analyse the situation, monitor progress and evaluate results. The Special Rapporteur is of the view that the National Human Rights Commission is well placed to lead such thematic studies. He also strongly encourages United Nations agencies and bilateral donors to support the Government in this endeavour. 66. It is paramount that the Government addresses the issues which the census process has highlighted so that individuals, and consequently their children, are not unduly deprived of their right to identity and nationality. The Government should also take measures to prevent children from becoming stateless: a situation which affects mostly children born of non-registered marriages, leading to de facto discrimination against the most isolated communities and the groups which have historically been discriminated against. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur urges the Government to ratify the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. 67. There is a need to improve the effectiveness of the relevant institutions in addressing the problems of discrimination and to win public confidence in their effectiveness and commitment to implementing the law. The competent ministries should therefore include in their annual budgets adequate resources to tackle issues of ethnic-, caste- and descent-based discrimination as well as slavery-like practices within their areas of responsibility, particularly to strengthen the capacity and expertise of officials, and maintain continued cooperation with relevant United Nations agencies, and in particular with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mauritania. 68. A policy of affirmative action should be implemented in relation to selection and recruitment of personnel in key State institutions such as the security and armed forces, the justice system, and the civil service. Inclusion of all the groups in all sectors of administration and the private economy is key to the promotion of democracy, national reconciliation and cohesion. Broader representation of ethnic groups within the administration at civil registration centres and law enforcement bodies should be vigorously pursued by the Government with a view to reducing instances of real or perceived discriminatory behaviour and attitudes. 69. The Government should promote equal access to political life for the communities which have historically been discriminated against and their political parties, including through the introduction of affirmative action at the national and local levels. 70. In a context where social prejudices and ethnic discrimination persist, the Government should strengthen human rights education and civic education, as these are all the more necessary, not only to maintaining social cohesion and embedding a 17