E/C.12/ALB/CO/2-3 The Committee requests the State party to take measures to ensure access to education in minority languages in public schools as well as to preserve, protect and promote minority languages and cultures as part of cultural diversity and heritage. The Committee also encourages the State party to consider increasing the budget allocated to cultural development and participation in cultural life in line with article 15 of the Covenant. 36. The Committee is concerned that minority communities, especially Bosnians and Egyptians have not benefited from the enjoyment and protection of minority rights (art. 2). The State party is encouraged to recognize communities with specific identities, especially Bosnians and Egyptians as national minorities, in accordance with applicable international standards, so that their members can benefit from the enjoyment and protection of minority rights. 37. The Committee encourages the State party to consider signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 38. The Committee requests the State party to disseminate the present concluding observations widely among all levels of society, particularly among government officials, judicial authorities and civil society organizations, and to inform the Committee on all steps taken to implement them in its next periodic report. It also encourages the State party to engage non-governmental organizations and other members of civil society in the process of discussion at the national level prior to the submission of its next periodic report. The Committee further encourages the State party to ensure that the website of the concerned executive authorities provide information on and links to the State party’s report, the written replies to the list of issues, the Committee’s concluding observations and the progress of implementation and that it is regularly updated. 39. The Committee requests the State party to submit its fourth periodic report in accordance with the guidelines adopted by the Committee in 2008 (E/C.12/2008/2), by 30 November 2018. 10

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