A/HRC/22/27 especially against religious minorities; establishing public outreach programmes and awareness campaigns to discourage ethnic discrimination; intensifying efforts to eliminate discrimination against the most vulnerable groups, such as minority women, and ensure their equal access to education, health, housing and employment; and guaranteeing freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression and the integration of minorities into society through national plans of action. States were also encouraged to train Government and professional staff to decrease discrimination and social exclusion; provide textbooks in minority languages; put into place monitoring mechanisms to ensure that intended objectives for the promotion and protection of the welfare and rights of minorities are achieved; and, finally, to adopt favourable policies aimed at securing the full enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights for minorities. VII. Conclusions 78. The commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities provided a significant opportunity to bring awareness to the Declaration’s importance while assessing challenges and obstacles to its implementation. Implementing the Declaration not only serves to protect the physical existence and identity of minorities but, as the preamble to the Declaration states, also contributes to the political and social stability of the States in which minorities live. 79. Minority issues are complex, and they need to be addressed through contextualized measures. Practices that work for the protection of minorities at the national level tend to also involve legislative and policy measures that take into consideration the circumstances on the ground and encourage inter-ethnic and intercultural interaction and dialogue while protecting distinct identities. As such, creating the conditions for the effective participation of minorities and protecting their rights should be considered by States to be an integral aspect of good governance, beneficial to minorities and majorities alike. 80. Combating discrimination and protecting minority rights are at the core of much of the work of the United Nations, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. All three pillars of the United Nations— security, development and human rights—are affected by discrimination and minority rights violations, and efforts to combat them require system-wide engagement and cooperation. It is against this background that the United Nations network on racial discrimination and the protection of minorities is engaged in enhancing dialogue and cooperation among relevant United Nations departments, agencies, programmes and funds by providing a regular channel for exchanges between United Nations actors and for building expertise and guidance on key thematic issues of common concern. Moreover, civil society and non-governmental organizations as well as representatives of minorities have a vital role to play in promoting the 1992 Declaration on Minorities. In this regard, they should participate effectively in the development, implementation and evaluation of national policies and strategies on minority rights protection. 81. Overall, efforts to improve protection and prevent tension must involve society at large, majorities and minorities, and the dominant and non-dominant sectors of society, while ensuring the participation of minority women. It is vital that future activities place even more focus on the actual implementation of the Declaration along with other international human rights standards, to address the complex problems faced by minority communities on the ground. 17