A/67/293 minority issues, but the Independent Expert emphasizes that they are most effective when working closely with other line ministries on minority issues and coordinating mainstreaming across ministries. Such dedicated institutional attention gives a strong signal to minorities and wider society that Government recognizes minority issues and takes them seriously. Some Government bodies or initiatives are given a particularly high public profile and status by placing them under high-level political leadership. 57. Government bodies may benefit from significant, secure funding allocated to State institutions. Relatively high levels of accountability are required of Government bodies regarding appointments to senior positions, annual reports, accounts, and analysis and monitoring of projects and their impact on minorities. They may face valuable scrutiny of their performance by media and civil society. One criticism of Governmental bodies is that they may face review or abolition following changes of political administration. Consequently, they will ideally exist alongside secure independent human rights institutions that also focus attention on minority issues. 58. Dedicated Government institutions may elaborate valuable mission statements and objectives providing important political messages on minority inclusion and equality, which may explicitly reflect challenges facing minorities. The Ministry of Minority Affairs of India is “empowering the minority communities and creating an enabling environment for strengthening the multiracial, multi-ethnic, multicultural, multilingual and multi-religious character of our nation”, and its objective is “to improve the socioeconomic conditions of the minority communities through affirmative action and inclusive development”. 24 Such public commitments provide a valuable opportunity for civil society engagement and advocacy. 59. Institutional approaches are particularly important that seek to ensure coordinated policy and programming initiatives incorporating all relevant ministries and other national stakeholders. They may develop and take the lead in implementing a national policy framework and devise cross-ministerial strategies and programmes in consultation with minorities and other stakeholders. Holistic, coordinated approaches recognize the interconnected nature of such issues and ministerial priorities such as health and housing, education and employment, and may facilitate policy and programming responses that comprehensively address problems facing minorities and their underlying causes. 60. The Government of Montenegro highlighted the fact that its Ministry for Minority Rights has a mandate to monitor, study and protect minority rights in accordance with the Constitution and international standards. Other ministries and government bodies are mandated to address issues of minority rights within their fields of responsibility, including the Ministries of Justice and Human Rights, Culture, Education and Sports, Internal Affairs, and Labour and Social Welfare. 61. Lithuania informed the Independent Expert of its Division for National Minorities Affairs in the Ministry of Culture. The post of Vice-Minister of culture for national minorities affairs was introduced in 2011, demonstrating the Government’s special attention to national minority issues. A Council of National Minorities operates under the Ministry of Culture and plays a key role in consultation on minority issues with public authorities. Twenty-nine recognized national __________________ 24 12-45950 See http://www.minorityaffairs.gov.in/vision_mission. 19