ensure that national minorities not only have access to these essential services but also are actively engaged in their formulation and delivery. In an era marked by rapid technological evolution and digital transformation, the Digital Inclusion section reminds us of the pressing need to ensure that everyone is included in the digital sphere, bridging the digital divide. It advocates for proactive measures to ensure that national minorities are able to enjoy equal access to, and opportunities in, the digital space. Appreciating the nuances of spatial disparities and regional dynamics, the section on Geographic and Regional Dimensions delves into the challenges and opportunities that national minorities face due to their geographical location. From infrastructure enhancement to proactive regional development and environmental justice considerations, it offers multifaceted solutions to ensure that national minorities are provided with opportunities that make sense in their unique regional contexts. While conflict prevention is an explicit structural focus, it is also a crosscutting theme throughout the Recommendations due to their central message that the social and economic empowerment of persons belonging to national minorities increases stability and inclusiveness, thereby reducing potential tensions and grievances that might be present among national minority communities. Although these Recommendations are primarily addressed to OSCE participating States, their successful promotion and implementation will depend on constructive engagement and co-operation by States’ authorities with a wide range of actors and stakeholders at the international, national and sub-national levels, including (specialized bodies of) intergovernmental organizations, representatives of national minority groups, civil society and academia. OSCE participating States are encouraged to embrace this set of Recommendations in the spirit of the OSCE’s general co-operation framework, with due acknowledgement of the specific mandates of the OSCE institutions – in particular the HCNM, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) – as essential instruments for preventing conflict, promoting tolerance between ethnic groups, ensuring respect for human rights and upholding freedom of expression and free media. OSCE participating States are also encouraged to co-operate constructively with each other on the issues addressed in these Recommendations. Recommendations on the Effective Participation of National Minorities in Social and Economic Life 7