A/HRC/FMI/2012/2 A. Governmental delegations 12. During this session, Governments will be invited to present their views on the extent to which the Declaration has impacted on their legislation, policies and practices as well as their institutional mechanisms for the protection and promotion of minority rights. Questions for discussion will include whether the Declaration influenced Governments’ policies including those relating to: collection and analysis of disaggregated data to reveal the socioeconomic situation of minorities; adoption of legislation explicitly recognizing the rights of minorities and incorporating key elements of the Declaration; application of affirmative action measures; development of national action plans or similar strategies designed to address minority issues; and methodologies to ensure representation and participation of minorities in public life. State representatives will also be asked to consider what additional measures could be taken nationally by Governments. B. Minority representatives and non-governmental organizations 13. Minority representatives and non-governmental organizations may wish to share their experiences of using the Declaration in the context of their work. Questions for discussion will include in what ways has the Declaration been useful to them and their partners, including at the local level and in their work directly with communities and national and local authorities? They may share practical examples of how the Declaration has helped them to inform minorities of their rights and reinforce their work with nationallevel partners and in national courts, as well as how they have used it to raise awareness of minority rights in other venues such as at regional bodies and within the United Nations system. Other questions might also include what changes did the Declaration help to bring about for minorities and how? In addition, what steps could be taken by non-governmental organizations and civil society to promote more effectively the Declaration? C. Representatives of national human rights institutions working in the area of minority rights protection and promotion 14. Representatives of national human rights institutions working in the area of minority rights protection and promotion will share experiences and examples of how independent human rights bodies have used the Declaration, including as a resource for such activities as: raising awareness of minority rights; assessing and monitoring the situation of minorities; helping to draft and implement legislation; designing and implementing policies and delivering minority-related programmes; and supporting legal cases brought by minorities and related to minority issues at the national level. What concrete projects have been undertaken based on provisions in the Declaration, for example relating to minority participation, education, language rights or other key minority issues? What are the challenges and opportunities for national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights and what recommendations do they propose? D. United Nations bodies, mechanisms and specialized agencies 15. United Nations bodies, mechanisms and specialized agencies will be invited to reflect on if and how they have used the Declaration, for example, as treaty bodies in their monitoring of States on their human rights record in areas relevant to minorities, or when developing general comments. Can treaty bodies use the Declaration more effectively in their work? The Independent Expert on minority issues and other relevant special procedure mandate holders will provide their views on the role and value of the Declaration. 4