118 PROMOTING AND PROTECTING MINORITY RIGHTS dialogue with minority representatives and organizations representing them. The Commissioner’s reports contain both an analysis of human rights practices and detailed recommendations for improvement. The reports are published and widely circulated in the policymaking and NGO communities and the media. By 2008, all member States of the Council of Europe had been visited by the Commissioner and an evaluation report had been published on every country. A few years after an initial visit to a country, the Commissioner or a staff member carries out a follow-up visit to assess the progress made in implementing the recommendations or a more focused visit to review priority concerns. The Commissioner issues a follow-up report, which is also widely publicized. Shorter visits may be made to countries or regions in order to strengthen relations with the authorities and examine specific human rights issues, although these visits do not necessarily result in a public report. When it is appropriate, the Commissioner makes recommendations regarding a specific human rights issue in a single member State or in several States. On the request of national bodies or on his or her own initiative, the Commissioner may also give an opinion on draft laws and specific practices. In 2004, for example, the Commissioner issued an opinion on the creation of a national body for counteracting discrimination in Poland.136 To promote awareness of human rights in member States, the Commissioner is involved in organizing seminars and events on human rights themes, and seeks to maintain a permanent dialogue with Governments, civil society organizations and educational institutions. The seminars and events usually lead to the publication of recommendations, opinions or reports by the Commissioner on issues discussed.137 The Commissioner cooperates closely with national ombudsmen or women, national human rights institutions and other Government institutions concerned with the protection of human rights, and maintains close working relations with the Ombudsman of the European Union. The Commissioner encourages the establishment of such bodies in Council of Europe member States where they do not yet exist. The situation of minorities has been assessed in most of the country reports issued by the Commissioner. Particular attention has been paid to Roma and Travellers, due to the persistent, systemic discrimination they encounter. A general report on the human rights situation of Roma, Sinti and Travellers was published in 2006, and a subsequent study, Recent Migration of Roma in Europe (carried out in cooperation with the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities) in 2009.138 The Commissioner’s Office has also organized seminars with outside partners on Roma-related questions. The Commissioner’s country monitoring on minorities has often built on the work of the Advisory Committee of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the committee of experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which are described above. However, the Commissioner also assesses the situation of minorities in countries which have not yet adhered to these instruments. The Commissioner has evaluated member States’ approaches to including or excluding minorities falling under the protection of international instruments. Available from https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=980009&Site=CommDH&BackColorInternet=FEC65B&Bac kColorIntranet=FEC65B&BackColorLogged=FFC679 (accessed 4 December 2012). 136 Available from www.coe.int/t/commissioner/Activities/themes/default_en.asp (accessed 4 December 2012). 137 Available from https://wcd.coe.int/wcd/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1536357. The 2006 report is available from https:// wcd.coe.int/com.instranet.InstraServlet?command=com.instranet.CmdBlobGet&InstranetImage=320815&SecMo de=1&DocId=941416&Usage=2 (both accessed 4 December 2012). 138