A/HRC/4/9/Add.2 page 20 functions effectively and in accordance with its stated purpose. She notes in particular Act No. CXXV on Equal Treatment and the Promotion of Equal Opportunities, which provides a comprehensive and valuable legislative framework on anti-discrimination. 87. The body charged with monitoring implementation of the Act, the Equal Treatment Authority, is considered to represent a “promising practice”, that offers the potential, through rigorous application and enforcement of the Act, to significantly impact upon the incidence of discrimination in Hungary and encourage the development of affirmative action programmes throughout the public sector and in those areas of the private sector covered by the Act. 88. Equally, the Independent Expert considers the establishment of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the National and Ethnic Minorities Rights (Minority Ombudsman) as “good practice” and congratulates the Parliamentary Commissioner for work undertaken in this capacity. She encourages collaboration and coordination between these institutions. Furthermore, government initiatives in the field of micro-financing of Roma business ventures represent “positive practices” and such programmes should be continued. 89. The Independent Expert makes the following conclusions and recommendations: (a) The Independent Expert considers the system of minority self-governments to be a valuable contribution to efforts to enable cultural autonomy for 13 minority groups in Hungary. Care should be taken, however, to make clear that the minority self-governments’ system is not seen as a substitute for full and effective participation in the “majority” political apparatus or as a mechanism through which municipal governments may evade responsibility to guarantee fundamental economic and social rights; (b) The Government of Hungary should seek to adopt, without further delay, measures to ensure the effective political participation of underrepresented minorities including the Roma in Parliament as provided for in Hungary’s Constitution. Full and effective participation in national and regional political structures, as well as Roma representation within key government ministries, is considered essential to future efforts to protect and promote the rights of Roma and other marginalized groups; (c) The Government of Hungary should ensure consultation with and the full and effective participation of minorities including the Roma in all decisions that affect them, and in the planning, design, implementation and evaluation of policies and programmes in respect of minority issues; (d) The Government should take steps to clarify the relationship between local minority self-governments and municipal “majority” governments to emphasize the primary responsibility that rests with municipal majority governments for meeting the social welfare needs of minority communities, including health care, education, housing and social benefits;