A/HRC/28/77 employment, credit, technology, vocational and skills training, across the different ethnic, linguistic and religious communities. 14. States must adopt the necessary national legislation prohibiting and punishing discrimination on the ground of nationality, ethnicity, religion and language. National constitutions and legislation should operate in a democratic political framework based on the rule of law, with a functioning independent judiciary, and should guarantee full recognition of minority rights and minorities’ participation in all aspects of the State and its institutions. 15. States should ensure that attention is paid to minority issues in the design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development policies and programmes, including in the context of the post-2015 development agenda, as a means to strengthen good governance and the rule of law and reduce inequalities. 16. Legislation should be introduced prohibiting advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, and ensuring appropriate penalties, in line with international standards, including in relation to freedom of expression and hate speech. States should take resolute action against incitement to violence, counter hate speech with positive messages and encourage the use of positive language by political, religious and other community leaders. States should take measures to monitor hate speech and incitement to violence, including in the media and social media, and respond appropriately, including by prosecuting perpetrators. 17. States should pay particular attention to and urgently address the situation of persons belonging to minority groups who may face the most severe and entrenched forms of discrimination and exclusion. Such discrimination and exclusion may include stigmatization and dehumanization on the basis of their work and descent or caste, notions of pollution and other forms of stigmatization resulting in wide-ranging exploitation, abuse and exposure to violence. 18. States should avoid the creation or persistence of statelessness, denial or deprivation of citizenship and long-standing situations of undocumented or uncertain migration status for persons belonging to minorities. Such situations leave minority communities vulnerable to violence and other rights violations, with only weak protection by State authorities who may not recognize them as citizens or nationals whose rights must be protected. Citizenship application processes must be fair, transparent and non-discriminatory towards all minorities. 19. States should take concrete action to ensure good and inclusive governance and the participation of minorities at all levels of politics and in decision-making bodies as an essential means of ensuring that the issues and concerns of minorities, including the threat of violence, are recognized as early as possible and are appropriately addressed by government and public bodies. The electoral system of States should ensure fair representation of all minority groups, especially smaller underrepresented ones. 20. Education has a key role to play in preventing violence and promoting understanding among communities. Culturally appropriate curricula, education methodologies and teaching materials that relate to the principles of human rights, minority rights, equality and non-discrimination and the positive contributions of minorities to societies should be integrated in formal and non-formal education, with a view to promoting understanding and tolerance between different groups in society. The teaching of languages, culture, religion and history of different groups should be encouraged throughout the education system, including in minority or multilingual educational institutions. 21. Particularly where historic tensions have existed, or violence has previously taken place, States should consider specific programmes and initiatives intended to prevent 5