7 3. The right to establish and operate their own institutions, organisations and associations includes the right to freely choose the names of organisations, regardless of a minority’s recognition or status. 4. Ethnic, cultural, religious or belief and linguistic institutions, organisations and associations of minorities shall be afforded official recognition in accordance with legislative and administrative requirements, without discrimination on any ground such as origin, caste, descent, race, colour, nationality, sex, gender, language, culture, marital status, property, disability, age, political or other opinion, religion or belief, birth or economic, social or other status such as belonging to a minority. 5. States Parties shall not interfere with the right of persons belonging to minorities to participate in the activities of non-governmental organisations, both at the national and international levels. Article 17 1. Persons belonging to minorities have the right to maintain, protect and develop the past, present and future manifestations of their cultures, religions or beliefs and languages. 2. States Parties shall exert the utmost efforts in conformity with international human rights and humanitarian law standards, to ensure that cultural, religious or belief and linguistic places, burial or heritage sites and artworks, shrines and symbols of minorities are fully respected and protected without discrimination and to take additional measures in cases where they are vulnerable to desecration and or destruction. 3. To the extent that States Parties provide institutional, financial or other support for religious, linguistic or cultural activities and institutions, such support shall be available to persons belonging to minorities, individually and in community, on a non-discriminatory basis. Part III Article 18 Every person has the right to a nationality, without discrimination on any ground such as origin, caste, descent, race, colour, nationality, sex, gender, language, culture, marital status, property, disability, age, political or other opinion, religion or belief, birth or economic, social or other status such as belonging to a minority. Article 19 1. States Parties shall not arbitrarily or discriminatorily deny or deprive minorities of full and equal citizenship. State requirements for the granting of citizenship, including in relation to any preference in terms of linguistic, cultural, religious or belief, or ethnic characteristics, shall not be discriminatory on any ground such as origin, caste, descent, race, colour, nationality, sex, gender, language, culture, marital status, property, disability, age, political or other opinion, religion or belief, birth or economic, social or other status such as belonging to a minority. 2. Children belonging to minorities have a right to the citizenship of the State in which they are born where the child would otherwise be stateless.