A/HRC/19/56 Millennium Development Goal programmes and activities on minorities and to evaluate the extent to which progress has been made or remains required for minority groups. F. The role of minority rights protection in conflict prevention 36. The preamble to the Declaration on Minorities emphasizes that “the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities contribute to the political and social stability of States in which they live”. 37. Building on the previous work of the mandate on the role of minority rights protection in conflict prevention presented to the General Assembly in October 2010 and the Human Rights Council in March 2011,4 the independent expert will seek opportunities to follow up practically on this work at the regional and country level and promote implementation of the recommendations contained in the report. The independent expert strongly believes that protection and promotion of minority rights at an early stage helps to prevent tensions emerging between groups that may eventually lead to conflict. 38. The independent expert emphasizes that full implementation by all States of the Declaration on Minorities should be considered a key measure to promote equality and political and social stability and as an essential component of good governance in diverse societies. She will pay particular attention to early signs of potential conflicts among different communities, such as indicators of increasing alienation or hatred against certain groups. Examination of challenges and positive practices relating to hate speech and hate crime legislation will be an area of focus. She will seek consultations with diverse stakeholders including in countries where inter-ethnic or interreligious tensions or conflict have previously occurred in order to identify ongoing challenges as well as learn about positive practices, preventative strategies and peace-building initiatives. In particular she draws attention to the need for minorities to be appropriately represented and to participate effectively in public life. 39. The independent expert recalls that, in view of the prevalence of conflicts involving minority and inter-group issues, minority rights expertise should be strengthened and integrated comprehensively across the United Nations system and that permanent in-house expertise on minority issues within the principal agencies and departments working on conflict prevention would be highly beneficial. G. The role of minorities in advocating for their rights 40. The independent expert emphasizes that while Governments bear the primary responsibility for protecting and ensuring the rights of all within society, minorities themselves also have a vital role and important responsibilities relating to their own communities and their place and integration in wider society. Article 2 of the Declaration establishes that “persons belonging to minorities have the right to participate effectively in decisions on the national and, where appropriate, regional level concerning the minority to which they belong or the regions in which they live, in a manner not incompatible with national legislation. Persons belonging to minorities also have the right to establish and maintain their own associations, and important component in the efforts of minorities to advocate for their rights”. 41. Minorities should take an active role in advocating for their rights as enshrined in the Declaration on Minorities and in being active and effective agents of change. They need to organize themselves to successfully partner with various decision-makers to express their 4 See A/65/287 and A/HRC/16/45. 11