examples, she referred to the Standing Committee on Equal Opportunities mandated to promote and monitor measures for equalization of opportunities and to the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development which guides, implements and monitors government programs aimed towards the protection and advancement of minority rights. She further stated that the Equal Opportunities Commission Act of 2007 establishes an Equal Opportunities Commission with the mandate to eliminate discrimination and promote equity. She finally referred to remaining challenges to minority political participation which include limited access to basic social services by minorities and land alienation, inter-group and inter-state conflicts as well as the lack of clear policy on ethnic minorities. Mr John Payton, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, United States of America, described how the Legal Defense Fund was originally founded to counteract measures that have led to the political exclusion of Black Americans throughout history, challenging each of these practices e.g. registration requirements, poll taxes, literacy tests, how elections were operated. He stressed that the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which bans discrimination in voting on the basis of race or national origin and gives the federal government wide authority to ensure nondiscrimination in voting, is the principal measure in combating such form of racial discrimination. Section Five of the Act, equivalent to a national electoral commission, serves as a checkpoint by requiring jurisdictions within the U.S. that have a history of discrimination in voting to obtain approval from the federal government before enacting any changes to their voting practices or procedures. Mr Payton stressed that the enforcement of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 depends heavily on accurate census data, used to determine the number of seats that each state will have in the House of Representatives, the number of votes that each state has in the Electoral College but also used in the drawing of election districts and in ensuring that electoral districts are roughly equal in size. He finally emphasized that the redistricting process which follows the finalization of the census results may be the most important factor in determining whether racial and ethnic minorities have a meaningful opportunity to participate in the political process and elect their candidates. Ms. Mary Anne Chambers, former member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in Canada, gave a presentation on “Meaningful representation, empowerment and the impact of racial discrimination on political participation in Canada” underlining that visible minority representation in the Canadian Parliament is yet to be reflective of the composition of its society, giving an overview of challenges faced by minorities, including poverty among “racialised” groups linked to lower educational achievements, poor mental health and general well-being, conflict with the justice system, the need for social services and support, sub-standard housing and underemployment. She also stressed the need for those minorities who have succeeded in being elected to unite the needs of the minority voices with those of the broader society that they serve. Ms. Liberate Nicayenzi, Member of the Parliament of Burundi gave a presentation on “Good practices and experiences of ethnic minorities in politics” with a specific emphasis on the situation of the Batwa in Burundi and the “double-discrimination” they suffer because they are both an ethnic minority and an indigenous people. She noted the 14