The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 69
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The commentary of the Working Group on Minorities of the former Commission on Human Rights to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.5/2005/2) notes that "States should establish advisory or consultative bodies involving minorities within appropriate institutional frameworks. They should be attributed political weight and effectively consulted on issues affecting the minority population". Advisory and consultative bodies can be permanent or ad hoc. They help to institutionalize dialogue between government and minority representatives and to ensure that minority issues are reflected in local and ideally national policy- and decision-making processes. Appropriate advisory and consultative bodies should therefore exist at the national level and at regional and local levels, where challenges affecting minorities frequently manifested themselves.