A/HRC/28/27 violence by creating and/or strengthening institutional and policy frameworks for minority rights protection. 28. On 24 November 2014, the day preceding the Forum session, OHCHR held a “Dialogue on the role of the United Nations in preventing and addressing violence and atrocity crimes against minorities”. The dialogue provided an opportunity to share experiences and practices that are effective in strengthening prevention and protection capacities in various contexts, such as: (a) addressing discrimination and securing effective participation of minorities in times of peace; (b) preventing violence by facilitating national engagement, including with human rights mechanisms, when identity-related tensions exist; and (c) responding to violence in situations of widespread and systematic attacks against minorities during conflict and post-conflict situations. The first panel looked at the global perspective and the role of United Nations mechanisms, as regards preventing violence and atrocity crimes against minorities. The second panel considered the role of the United Nations and lessons learned, with regard to the prevention of violence and atrocity crimes against minorities at the country level. The discussions served to identify approaches that work best, by examining United Nations action ranging from human rights advocacy work at OHCHR headquarters and in the field, to humanitarian action involving peacebuilding and peacekeeping during conflict and post-conflict situations and involving a variety of United Nations actors. III. United Nations network on racial discrimination and protection of minorities 29. In order to enhance the combined impact of the work of the United Nations system in this area, the Secretary-General established, on 6 March 2012, the United Nations network on racial discrimination and protection of minorities. The network is designed to enhance dialogue and cooperation between relevant United Nations departments, agencies, programmes and funds. 30. The network, in response to the recommendations of the guidance note, developed a four-year action plan. As part of the plan, the network is tasked, inter alia, with facilitating knowledge exchange opportunities, including through training on racial discrimination and protection of minorities for United Nations country teams, while underscoring the gender dimension of exclusion. One of the goals envisaged under the action plan is to ensure that existing and future subregional United Nations system initiatives on racial discrimination and protection of minorities draw on the guidance note and on existing good practices and lessons learned. 31. The training courses organized by OHCHR in 2014 helped to strengthen the capacity of United Nations presences to support national authorities to take urgent steps to guarantee respect for minority rights, and to put into place protective measures against the perpetration of violence against minorities and bring to justice the perpetrators of attacks against members of religious minorities. 32. The network is currently working on a guidance tool, for the United Nations system, on discrimination based on work and descent. The guidance tool responds to the specific action point in the action plan about developing “guidance for the United Nations system on key challenges, priorities and strategic approaches to combat discrimination based on work and descent”. In accordance with the action plan, the tool will draw on “existing United Nations tools and standards, including general recommendation No. 29 on ‘descent’ of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination”. 33. Another example of the activities envisaged under the action plan relates to joint advocacy strategies to follow up on recommendations from human rights mechanisms. 8