A/50/514 English Page 9 29. In particular, in 1994 and from January to July 1995, country-wide needs assessment missions were conducted for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, El Salvador, Georgia, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Haiti, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, Rwanda and the United Republic of Tanzania, designed to form the basis of country programmes of technical assistance in each of those States. During the mission to the States of the Caucasus, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation and Rwanda, representatives of the Centre held consultations with representatives of national minority groups, in order that their views and concerns might be effectively responded to in the Centre’s programme development activities for those States. In addition, the members of the mission held discussions on minority issues with relevant government officials, including governmental advisers on minority issues. As a result of these missions, the Centre produced comprehensive needs assessment reports for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia each of which devoted particular attention to proposals for training and institutional strengthening aimed at ensuring the effective protection and promotion of the rights of national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities consistent with international human rights standards, in particular with those embodied in the Declaration. The Centre for Human Rights also provided assistance in drafting a law on the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to minorities in Georgia and submitted comments and recommendations on a draft law on minority rights to the Republic of Moldova. 30. A seminar on the promotion and protection of the rights of minorities in Romania was held at Bucharest from 18 to 21 October 1994. It was organized in cooperation with the Romanian Government and participants were invited from among the national minorities in the country, national non-governmental organizations and governmental institutions. Issues discussed included ethnic and linguistic rights, as well as religious and cultural rights of minorities. 31. From June to December 1994, the Centre for Human Rights organized a seminar and two workshops at Bujumbura. The specific objective of the seminar and one of the workshops was to provide participants with information on peaceful conflict-resolution techniques and on the use of legal, administrative and human rights institutions for the settlement of disputes. Courses of this nature were targeted to both relevant government agencies and to certain groups in society such as trade unions, minority groups, NGOs and political parties. The role and functions of the judiciary, national human rights institutions, administrative agencies and alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms were also important topics. It may be recalled that the Commission on Human Rights, in its resolution 1993/24, called upon the programme of advisory services and technical assistance of the Centre for Human Rights to make available expert assistance, inter alia, in the area of conflict resolution involving minorities. D. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 32. Activities aimed at the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to minorities constitute an integral and significant part of the High Commissioner’s mandate as set out in General Assembly resolution 48/141 by which the Assembly decided that the High Commissioner for Human Rights would be the United Nations official with principal responsibility for United Nations human /...