ACFC/31DOC(2008)001 40. Information and advice on public services and welfare institutions need to be made easily accessible and available, where appropriate, in the languages of national minorities. 41. Moreover, State Parties should promote the recruitment, promotion and retention in the administration and public services of persons belonging to national minorities, both at national and local levels. d) Participation of persons belonging to national minorities in socio-economic life in depressed regions 42. Persons belonging to national minorities often live in border areas and other regions at a distance from political and economic centres of activity. Hence they can be confronted with more difficult socio-economic situations than the majority population. State Parties should take specific measures to increase the opportunities for persons belonging to minorities living in peripheral and/or economically depressed areas, such as rural, isolated and border areas, war-damaged areas or regions affected by deindustrialisation, to participate in socio-economic life.9 43. Where appropriate, this could result from bilateral or cross border co-operation. Trade and other economic activities across borders can be an important factor of economic and social development for persons belonging to national minorities. State Parties should, therefore, ensure that cross border co-operation is not limited by any undue obstacle. 44. State Parties should ensure that economic rehabilitation programmes and regional development initiatives targeting depressed regions, including some inner city areas, are designed and implemented in a manner that also provides benefits to those in need among persons belonging to national minorities who live in such regions. In order to ensure this, studies should be undertaken to assess the possible impact of development projects on persons belonging to national minorities. Particular attention should be paid to the situation of women and youth from national minority backgrounds. 45. The authorities should ensure that persons belonging to national minorities are fully involved in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and projects likely to have an impact on their economic situation and the situation of the regions where they live in substantial numbers. 46. In post-conflict situations, particular attention should be paid to the socioeconomic situation of persons belonging to minorities who have been discriminated against on account of their national minority background and were barred from 9 See for example 1st Opinion on Ukraine, adopted on 1 March 2002, paragraph 73 and 2nd Opinion on Estonia, adopted on 24 February 2005, paragraph 160. 17