times of economic hardship. In other cases the challenges and discrimination faced by minorities are not in the form of violence, but rather in the shape of institutional discrimination or structural and administrative barriers to the enjoyment of their rights, the use of their language or the practice of their religion. Some long-standing and entrenched issues continue to evade real progress – the situation of the Roma in Europe is a prominent but far from isolated example. Minority women and girls continue to face unique challenges and multiple forms of discrimination that cannot be overlooked. Nevertheless, despite these and many other remaining challenges, in many countries, the principles of the Declaration have been incorporated into Constitutions, legislations, policy and practice. And as a consequence, there are many nations in which equality and non-discrimination are considered to be core foundations of just and fair societies and strenuous efforts are made to protect the principles of minority rights and to promote inclusion and integration. In such countries diversity is more likely to be seen in positive terms. Those belonging to a different ethnicity or religion are more likely to feel secure, to be integrated and able to take part fully in the cultural, economic, political and social aspects of society while also being able to practice their faith and use their own language freely and without hindrance. Where minority rights are respected, children grow up to understand that the diversity that they find in their classrooms is normal and something to be welcomed, learned about and celebrated. The drafters of the Declaration emphasized that the protection and promotion of minority rights contributes to political and social stability of the States in which they live. I am particularly pleased to welcome here some of those who were involved in the drafting of the Declaration and its Commentary, Mr. Patrick Thornberry, member of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and Professor Asbjørn Eide, former Chairman of the United Nations Working Group on Minorities. I very much look forward to hearing their views about how much progress has been achieved since the adoption of this important document and whether it is fulfilling the role they wished to give it. This Forum is an opportunity to share and learn from good ideas and practice – both the big international and national practices to promote implementation of the Declaration, and the smaller local level initiatives and creative activities that provide practical solutions that can really make a difference to peoples’ daily lives and have been shown to do so in practice. In my report to the General Assembly this year I stated my belief that the positive requirements for the protection of minority rights contained in the Declaration are best achieved via a national institutional and policy framework