and the significance of the adoption of a legally binding instrument to protect the rights of persons belonging to minorities. Finally, good examples were also provided by some States who suggested addressing barriers to the social and economic participation of persons belonging to minorities, including measures related to economic development in regions with minorities, providing access to education, employment, social care, health and housing of persons belonging to minorities, and on the fight against discrimination affecting persons belonging to minorities. Item II: Socio-economic empowerment Participants were invited to share ways to amplify the economic participation of persons belonging to minority groups and emphasize equal opportunities in society, employment, and entrepreneurship, with special attention given to the economic support of migrants and refugees belonging to minority groups. Participants were equally requested to identify strategies to engage and empower minority young people by tapping into educational and employment prospects. Finally, in this thematic panel, participants were also encouraged to share examples of inclusive policies, including in the use of minority languages, in terms of promoting access to services and increased employment opportunities. Presentations on the topic under discussion were made by the following panelists: Ms. Claire Thomas, Co-Executive Director, Minority Rights Group; Dr. Melakou Tegegn, Director, Fanos Ethiopia; and Dr. Jennifer Jackson-Preece, Associate Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science. Ms. Claire Thomas provided examples of existing challenges to the socio-economic participation of persons belonging to minorities from all around the world and reflected on the ways in which they could be addressed. More particularly, she recommended to the relevant stakeholders supporting para legal networks, the establishment of shadow anti-discrimination monitoring bodies, participatory local budget monitoring, working to change hearts and minds, supporting carefully designed and effectively communicated positive measures including minority tailored support, assessing whether minorities and persons belonging to them are benefiting from policies and projects, collecting and publishing disaggregated data, supporting fellowships for minority youth to allow them to gain experience and break through barriers. Ms. Thomas emphasized the need for political will to set aside short-term expediencies, to challenge unfair privileges and to prioritize building cohesive, equitable and inclusive societies where all can blossom and where we all ultimately benefit from peace, stability and sustainable development.8 With regard to the socio-economic empowerment of persons belonging to minorities, Dr. Melakou Tegegn pointed out that it requires first of all adhering to the principles of respect for fundamental freedoms as explicitly affirmed by international laws, including the affirmation of the right to self-determination for minorities to choose their modalities of life and the freedom of minority communities to adhere to their traditional way or social organization through their own independent community institutions. Dr. Tegegn emphasized that what is actually crucial in amplifying economic participation of persons belonging to minorities and emphasizing equal opportunities in society, employment and entrepreneurship, is adopting a minority-friendly policy that begins with recognition of minority and indigenous livelihood systems as viable as any other traditional social system and adopting supporting policies that correspond with UN conventions and declarations on minority and indigenous communities and persons belonging to them. He added that minority communities also need development, to which education of minority and indigenous communities is essential, so is gender equality, the empowerment of the youth and children and the preservation of minority languages, cultures and traditions. Dr. 8 The integral version of the statement of Ms. Claire Thomas can be consulted here. 6