A/70/255 human rights institutions and other actors to advance minority rights at the country level was enhanced. 28. At the seventh session of the Forum on Minority Issues, in November 2014, the network submitted a paper on preventing and addressing violence and atrocity crimes targeted against minorities, in accordance with its action plan. It also contributed to the report of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues containing a comprehensive study of the human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism (A/HRC/29/24), which was presented to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-ninth session, in June 2015, including in terms of mapping the situation of Romani people outside of Europe a nd key challenges they face. 29. In the action plan, United Nations country teams are recognized as being crucial to strengthening the work to combat on anti-discrimination and promote protection of minorities at the country level. Therefore, the network s ought to facilitate exchanges of experience on practical measures between and within country teams and to support training to develop their capacity to address minority issues. In that vein, OHCHR held a course on minority rights for the United Nations country team in Pakistan in May 2014, bringing together participants from several United Nations agencies and programmes. A specific session was devoted to the role of the United Nations system in ensuring that its strategies and actions take into consideration the special situation of minority women, including in terms of criminal justice responses to harmful traditional practices and violence against women. In May 2015, the Office organized a training course on the protection of the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples for the United Nations country team in the Philippines, in collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples. 30. The training courses triggered considerable interest on the part of the country teams, as well as concrete suggestions for follow-up. Participants at the courses stressed that effective action by the United Nations required continuous dialogue with a diverse representation of minorities, including minority women, with a view to ensuring their contribution to the design and implementation of United Nations activities. 31. On 2 and 3 December 2014, regional consultations on strengthening minority rights protection in the Middle East and North Africa region through the national implementation of recommendations from the United Nations human rights machinery were held in Tunis. Participants from national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations, the media and United Nations entities debated strategies and tools to support national actors in translating recommendations into action. They also explored the relationship between United Nations mechanisms and national frameworks and institutions, and how their interaction could be improved to promote the rights of minorities at the national and regional levels. In parallel, OHCHR convened a training session for the United Nations country team in Tunisia on the protection of minorities in the Middle East and North Africa. 32. The Office of the Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide and on the Responsibility to Protect, which also a member of the network, sought to enhance implementation of the responsibility to protect against genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity by Member States, regional organizations and civil society. In that context, it developed guidance for Member States, regional 8/14 15-12580