- - - - - - - The importance for countries to conduct census and collect data to objectively determine the status of their population, including a comprehensive picture of the social and living conditions of all groups. The importance that State ensures good and inclusive governance and that guarantees participation of minorities at all levels of its institutions, politics and decision making bodies, as an essential violence preventive measure. The importance of guaranteeing access to justice and fighting against impunity, including for all cases of harassment, intimidation, persecution of minorities and violence against them as measures to prevent exposure to further violence and intimidations. The need to ensure the active participation and meaningful consultation of minorities in all decisions, programs and policies affecting them as a prerequisite for effective violence preventive measures. The necessity to take all necessary steps to uphold the rule of law and adopt an holistic approach to the respect, protection and promotion of civil, political, economic, cultural and social rights of all citizens. The central role played by formal and informal education systems in preventing violence, including through the positive contribution of inter-cultural and multilingual learning systems and teaching of history to fostering mutual understanding among communities. The crucial role of the judiciary in countering biased application of the law against minorities. The need to do more to counter incitement to hatred and violence including by adopting specific legislations prohibiting hatred and its incitement and by ensuring appropriate penalties. Item IV. Improving prevention of violence and atrocity crimes This session was devoted to existing gaps and possible steps to be taken to improve existing approaches and methodologies to act effectively to prevent violence at an early stage at national, regional and international levels. This session also discussed the importance of ensuring the effective participation of minorities in legislative, administrative and decision-making bodies, including the role of inclusive governance. It considered the role of media in preventing violence against minorities, as well as challenges and possibilities relating to policing and security sector as factors directly linked to the exposure of minorities to violence and atrocity crimes. Chief of Human Rights Section United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Mr. Francesco Motta Mr. Motta started by explaining how the situation in Iraq is particularly dire in relation to the protection of civilians because of ongoing armed violence and terrorism. In this context, he underlined that the Iraqi population is extremely diverse in terms of ethnicity and religion and minorities are found all throughout Iraqi territory. He stated that currently, the so-called “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” or “ISIL” with its extremist takfiri doctrine has perpetrated gross and systematic violations of human rights against all Iraq’s 11