A/HRC/28/27 15. OHCHR held a workshop for human rights defenders, including minority representatives, in May 2014 in Turkey, which focused on how best to monitor and report on alleged human rights violations in the Syrian Arab Republic. It covered issues related to discrimination, sectarianism, and incitement to hatred against vulnerable communities. 16. In Central Asia, OHCHR provided support for national consultations on the universal periodic review in Bishkek and Osh in May 2014. These brought together State authorities, civil society and national human rights institutions to discuss the limited participation and representation of minorities in public and political life, language rights and access to education for minorities, freedom of religion and belief, and other problems related to discrimination against minorities. 17. In the Republic of Moldova, OHCHR’s activities with the United Nations country team throughout the year included joint work with UN-Women and the United Nations Development Programme on the empowerment of Romani women and girls, including providing support for the establishment of a civil society network for Romani women and girls. 18. The Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, deployed in March 2014, reports that while incidents of violent attacks against minorities remain isolated and rare, religious minority representatives from Protestant, Greek Catholic and Muslim communities continue to face persecution and intimidation in the eastern part of the country with armed groups detaining clergy and parishioners and seizing church buildings. The Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has also reported about persistent acts of intimidation targeting the Crimean Tatars in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. 19. OHCHR provided guidance to the United Nations country team in Myanmar on the international standards applicable to non-discrimination and the principle of selfidentification, in line with article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and related jurisprudence of the Human Rights Committee. 20. In the Plurinational State of Bolivia, OHCHR continued to deliver technical assistance to Afro-Bolivian organizations and the Ministry of Education. For example, OHCHR provided technical assistance, in May and September 2014, to Afro-Bolivian organizations in connection with their participation in the first regular session of the National Committee against Racism and all Forms of Discrimination, in order to empower those organizations to participate effectively in the discussions. For the first time, 23 September was commemorated as the national day of the Afro-Bolivian people, by both the Government and Afro-Bolivian communities. 21. Pursuant to resolution 23/18 of the Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner deployed a fact-finding mission to the Central African Republic to collect information on human rights violations committed in Bangui and other localities between 10 December 2012 and 11 July 2013. That mission was followed by an OHCHR monitoring mission. In its report dated 28 January 2014, and in light of the violations committed on the basis of religious affiliation, the mission recommended to the Transitional Government to “organize free, fair, credible and transparent presidential and legislative elections following an inclusive and transparent consultation process, without any discrimination based on ethnicity, religion or political affiliation, and enhance the participation of women in the electoral process and at the decision-making level”, and to “support initiatives fostering the peaceful coexistence of communities, such as the platform for dialogue established by Christian and Muslim religious leaders” (A/HRC/24/59). 22. In 2013, OHCHR completed three studies to improve the situation of minorities in Central Asia. These include “Minorities and the media in Kazakhstan”, “Participation of minorities in public life in Kyrgyzstan” and “Access of minorities to education in Tajikistan”. In 2014, two-page fact sheets containing the main findings and 6