A/51/536 English Page 35 development of the culture and preservation of religion, language and traditions, freedoms of assembly, association, expression, thought, conscience and religion, access to and use of the media, linguistic freedoms, education, transfrontier contacts, international and transfrontier cooperation, participation in economic, cultural and social life, participation in public life, and the prohibition of forced assimilation. The adequacy of the measures taken by the parties to give effect to the principles had been evaluated by the Committee of Ministers, assisted by an advisory committee of persons with recognized expertise in the field of the protection of national minorities, on the basis of periodic reports by the States parties. 134. Entry into force of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities required ratification by 12 member States. As of 1 July 1996, the following States had signed: Albania, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Russian Federation, San Marino, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, while the Convention has also been ratified by Cyprus, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. 135. On 12 March 1996, the Committee of Ministers’ Deputies, expecting that the number of ratifications required to bring the Convention into force would be achieved later in the year and might in fact be accelerated by giving member States a clearer idea of how the Convention would be monitored, had decided to undertake the work regarding the implementation mechanism provided for in articles 24-26. In that respect, they decided to instruct an ad hoc committee of experts to clarify pertinent questions and to identify possible options; to establish an ad hoc committee of Deputies open to all and with the assistance and participation of experts in order to identify and agree on the broad lines of the implementation mechanism; to instruct the ad hoc committee of experts to draft, on the basis of the decisions taken by the ad hoc committee of Deputies, the necessary regulations and procedures, within an agreed period; and to take a final decision on the implementation mechanism of the Framework Convention. The aim was to complete the first two stages by the time the Convention entered into force. 136. Those instruments were a valuable supplement to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the Council of Europe European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which had been opened for signature by member States on 5 November 1992. The Charter lay down objectives and principles to be respected by States and proposed concrete measures to put them into effect in the fields of education, courts of law, administrative authorities and public services, the media, cultural facilities and economic and social life. Parties needed to select a minimum number of those for implementation. The Charter would enter into force upon ratification by five member States. As at 1 July 1996, the following States had signed: Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Romania, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine, and the following States had ratified it: Finland, Hungary, the Netherlands and Norway. Entry into force was expected by the end of 1996. /...