A/HRC/16/39 have been on the rise; indeed, the Fundamental Rights Agency estimates that Roma face the highest levels of discrimination in the European Union. The High Commissioner recommended that, in addition to the pledges made by States Members of the United Nations to take concrete measures to eradicate discrimination against the Roma and other minorities and to provide them with remedies and special protection, much more should be done. In this regard, she noted that a change from a reactive to a proactive stance towards the Roma issue by the European Commission and Parliament, the United Nations, the European Union and its 27 member States could “ensure that all Roma people live dignified lives in one of the world’s most affluent regions, a region that is their homeland too.” 22. Minority issues have also been a key concern for the OHCHR regional office for Central Asia in Bishkek, particularly in the light of the inter-ethnic violence witnessed in southern Kyrgyzstan in June 2010, which resulted in hundreds of casualties and destroyed many homes. OHCHR is working with the authorities, the Ombudsman and other partners in order for human rights concerns relating to the protection of minorities, including ethnic Uzbeks, to be addressed. 23. OHCHR partnered with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the authorities of Mexico to organize an international conference, entitled “Promoting inclusive parliaments: the representation of minorities and indigenous peoples in Parliament”, held from 31 October to 3 November 2010, in Chiapas, Mexico. The conference brought together parliamentarians from more than 40 countries, civil society representatives, United Nations special procedures mandate holders, including the independent expert on minority issues, and representatives from international organizations. Several issues were discussed, such as effective participation as a means of preventing conflict, the participation of minority and indigenous women in decision-making and local, provincial, regional government and autonomous structures. The conference was informed by recommendation 35 made by the Forum on Minority Issues at its second session, which focused on minorities and effective political participation (A/HRC/13/25). In the recommendation, the Forum states that political parties should consider establishing mentoring programmes through which successful minority politicians could act as role models, encouraging others to run for office, raising awareness of minority political participation and reaching out to the majority population to ensure continuous dialogue between all groups. The conference concluded with the adoption of the Chiapas Declaration, which called on all parliaments, in the next two years, to adopt a plan of action to make the right to equal participation and nondiscrimination a reality for minorities and indigenous peoples, ensuring sufficient allocation of resources for the task of establishing dialogue between minority/indigenous peoples and public institutions and to parliamentary committees on minority and indigenous issues so as to allow them to carry out effective outreach activities, such as public hearings with minority communities and indigenous peoples. The minority and indigenous parliamentarians participating in the conference also agreed to form a network with the goal of improving minority representation in parliaments. The status of implementation of the recommendations will be reviewed at a follow-up conference to be held in 2012. OHCHR representatives from Headquarters and the Mexico office actively contributed to the conference. 24. OHCHR cooperated in the implementation of a community of practice meeting of national human rights institutions from the Caucasus and Central Asia, entitled “Promoting minority rights and the gender equality agenda: the role of independent and effective national human rights institutions”, held in Yerevan from 30 September to 1 October 2010, organized by the Bratislava Regional Centre of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Office of Human Rights Defenders in Armenia, with the support of UNDP Armenia. The participants discussed how national human rights institutions could more consistently advance minority rights in their work, and made practical recommendations for follow-up in this respect. 7