ACFC/44DOC(2012)001 rev 24. The Advisory Committee notes that preventing assimilation requires not only abstaining from policies clearly aimed at assimilating persons belonging to national minorities into mainstream society.28 It also implies, as stated in Article 5.1 of the Framework Convention, positive action in order to “promote the conditions necessary for persons belonging to national minorities to maintain and develop their culture, and to preserve the essential elements of their identity”, including their language. With regard to numerically smaller minorities in particular, this obligation requires the active promotion and encouragement of the use of minority languages, and the creation of an overall environment that is conducive to the use of these languages, in order to prevent their disappearance from public life. While assimilation may be a voluntary individual process, it is often preceded by a period of cultural, social or political inequality between the majority and minority population which then leads persons belonging to national minorities to consent to assimilate. 25. Integration, as opposed to assimilation, is considered a legitimate aim to which both the majority and minority cultures contribute. It is understood, in this context, as a process of social cohesion that respectfully accommodates diversity while promoting a positive sense of belonging for all members of society. The creation of suitable conditions for persons belonging to minority groups to preserve and develop their cultures and to assert their respective identities is thus considered essential for an integrated society.29 As a two-way process, integration requires recognition and respect on both sides and may often lead to changes within both the majority and the minority cultures. This implies an open attitude and readiness for change on the part of the majority population, in order to welcome the enrichment provided by minority cultures. 28 29 First Opinion on Norway. First Opinion on Bulgaria; First Opinion on Denmark; Third Opinion on Finland. 9