A/51/536 English Page 36 137. The Summit Conference had also entrusted the Committee of Ministers to begin work on drafting an additional protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the cultural field by provisions guaranteeing individual rights, in particular for persons belonging to national minorities. The work on that subject showed, however, that the existing provisions of the Convention, as they had been interpreted by the supervisory organs, already potentially covered many rights in the cultural field. The Committee of Ministers, considering that it would currently not be possible to add substantially to the Convention, had decided in January 1996 to suspend the work on the protocol. The Committee however, had agreed to continue reflection on the feasibility of further standard-setting in the cultural field and in the field of the protection of national minorities. 138. The programme of confidence-building measures of the Council of Europe was intended to mobilize various preventive initiatives, aimed at defusing tensions capable of generating serious conflicts. Those activities were all of a practical nature and sought to contribute to the dismantling of barriers which divided communities, through providing opportunities to speak, learn and work together on specific projects. The projects were conducted in partnership with non-governmental organizations. The Council of Europe also regularly provided expertise upon request to member States on issues such as human rights, language and education, and organized information meetings for parliamentarians, government officials, representatives of minorities and non-governmental organizations on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, in order to make their provisions better known. 139. In June 1996, a joint programme between the European Commission in Brussels and the Council of Europe had been signed which would entail intensive cooperation with government offices for national minorities, representatives and professional groups in 17 Central and Eastern European countries, through seminars, workshops, study visits and specific follow-up action. VIII. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS Liberal International 140. Liberal International stated that it supported the rights of minorities by establishing formal or informal relations with minority organizations and their political parties, providing education and training, a platform for exchange as well as links to the Council of Europe, the United Nations and other international bodies, and assisting in raising awareness of minority issues at the international level. More specifically, Liberal International had organized a seminar in Opatija, Croatia, in October 1995, on the subject of national minorities, individual and collective rights of minorities and the international mechanisms to protect those rights. Participants represented minority groups such as the Hungarians from the Slovak Republic and the Swedish-speaking people from Finland. The seminar had proved successful in arriving at ideas and solutions in respect of situations involving minorities. /...