- - - The need for anti-discrimination legislation and for effective implementation of laws and policies relevant to minorities as well as international human rights instruments; The importance of recognition of minority groups within a society and of respecting the principle of self-identification; The importance of ensuring the effective political participation of minorities at all levels, including in Parliament and in the Executive Branch; The need to ensure the active participation and meaningful consultation of minorities in the decisions affecting them as a prerequisite for the improvement of their status; The role of structures such as advisory bodies, established to ensure that persons belonging to minorities play a full and equal part in their society and contribute towards eradicating discrimination against them while ensuring extensive dialogue; The importance of ensuring full respect for the rights of freedom of assembly and association; The central role played by education in guaranteeing the rights of minorities and the advantages of inter-cultural learning systems; The need to establish teachers’ training mechanisms; Examples of existing measures to improve access to employment for minorities in the Public Sector; The advantages offered by the establishment of Youth Councils, with the participation and active involvement of young people belonging to minorities; The need for support, including financial, from States for associations and organisations working to promote and protect minority rights; The need for public media to broadcast in all of the national languages in a State; The advantages of developing radio and TV programmes reflecting the minority groups in a State and in minority languages, and positive reference to minority groups, their customs and traditions in all media; The need for States to extend an invitation to relevant Special Procedures and for them to visit and report on the situation of minorities; The importance of promoting inter-cultural dialogues; The importance of a strong civil society, including organisations focusing on minority issues, to play a monitoring role, helping to ensure accountability. Ms. Ilze Brands Kehris, Director of the Office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, presented on “The work of the HCNM to implement the Declaration in practice”. She stressed that it is the situation in real life that points to the continued need for the stepping up of the protection of minorities and their rights, which requires voicing recommitment and a firm engagement with the next level: identifying ways to move from implementation rhetoric to implementation in practice. She indicated that it is ultimately national governments that are responsible for ensuring compliance as a minimum, and good practice standards as a matter of wise policy. Emphasising that the principles of the Declaration and the increasingly detailed content of other human rights instruments, combined with guides, recommendations and toolkits, provide a practical way to enhance implementation, she stressed that such implementation will only be successful, however, if there is sufficient level of information regarding minority rights and the duties that go with them for all stakeholders. That States are primary actors entails that they not only have the obligation to ensure that a framework and mechanisms are in place for effective protection of these rights, but also that awareness and knowledge of this is proactively promoted throughout society and its institutions. She reminded participants that the UN and regional organisations such as the OSCE HCNM 9