CRC/C/TKM/CO/1 page 5 activities of public associations, including non-governmental organizations, it is deeply concerned that serious obstacles are still hampering the independent activity of civil society organizations. 20. The Committee underlines the important role of civil society in contributing to the full implementation of the Convention and recommends that the State party facilitate such activity by removing restrictions to the functioning of independent civil society organizations in the State party. International cooperation 21. The Committee notes that various programmes and projects have been and are being implemented in cooperation with international organizations. In this respect, the Committee recommends that the State party continue to strengthen a broad and open cooperation with the international organizations in order to fully benefit from their presence in the country. 2. General principles (arts. 2, 3, 6 and 12 of the Convention) Non-discrimination 22. The Committee is concerned that, inter alia as a result of the “Turkmenization” policy of the State party, discriminatory attitudes and practices exist towards certain national and ethnic minorities such as Russians, Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Turks, Kurds, Beludzhi and Germans. In particular, members of ethnic minority groups are denied a number of fundamental socio-economic rights, such as access to education, employment and the right to own property, as well as the right to enjoy their culture. The Committee is further concerned that children belonging to families of persons condemned on political grounds are often victims of discriminatory and punitive practices, notably in access to education and other services. 23. In accordance with article 2 of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Carefully and regularly evaluate existing disparities in the enjoyment by children of their rights and undertake on the basis of that evaluation the necessary steps to prevent and combat discriminatory disparities, including the adoption of legislation specifically prohibiting all forms of discrimination and introducing mechanisms of independent monitoring and redress; (b) Strengthen its administrative and judicial measures to prevent and eliminate discriminatory attitudes and stigmatization against certain groups of children, in particular children belonging to ethnic minorities and to families of persons condemned on political grounds; (c) Undertake comprehensive public education campaigns to prevent and combat negative social attitudes and behaviour, including discrimination, based on, inter alia, sex, age, nationality, ethnicity and religion.