Protecting and promoting cultural and social identity, including the right of individuals to choose which ethnic, linguistic or religious groups they wish to be identified with, and the right of those groups to affirm and protect their collective identity and to reject forced assimilation;(c) Ensuring effective non-discrimination and equality, including ending structural or systemic discrimination; and(d) Ensuring effective participation of members of minorities in public life, especially with regard to decisions that affect them. When I started my mandate it quickly became clear that there was relatively little knowledge about the Declaration outside of academic circles, European regional bodies and the OSCE. Virtually none existed at the level of civil society, other than those individuals who had been fortunate to participate in the OHCHR Fellows program, or to make a presentation before the Working Group on Minorities. It was particularly concerning to talk with staff in organizations like the World Bank or certain specialized agencies of the UN to find that while they were aware of the norms regarding the rights of Indigenous Peoples (the IP Declaration had not yet been adopted) and indeed some like the World Bank had a policy and dedicated staff on Indigenous Peoples rights, nevertheless there was general ignorance in the institution of the Declaration on Minorities. Over the course of the first six years of the mandate, I conducted 12 official country visits and visited five additional countries to conduct promotional activities to bring greater awareness of the Declaration. I communicated with governments regarding violations and failures to fulfill the rights of members of minority groups. I held three expert seminars, one of which was cosponsored by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which focused on a draft regional convention on racial discrimination. I presented three thematic studies to the Human Rights Council: 1) Minorities, Poverty and the Millennium Development Goals: Assessing Global Issues, A/HRC/4/9. 2) Minorities and the Discriminatory Denial or Deprivation of Citizenship, A/HRC/7/23, 29 January 2008. And 3) Minorities and Conflict Prevention. In 2010 I reported for the first time to the General Assembly. 2