A/HRC/38/19 multilateral level regarding their national systems. The gap was also related to the systemic neglect of economic, social and cultural rights that contributed to generating social unrest. With regard to the structural weakening of the State, it was commonly perceived that States did not have sufficient resources to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and would need private sector support in that regard. The human rights system had not been effective in guaranteeing that States ensured, in line with their obligations, that private sector actors’ conduct was consistent with human rights standards. 39. Mr. Heyns said that efforts to strengthen the international human rights system should focus in particular on regional human rights systems, in order to bring the human rights debate to the wider population. A top-down approach to human rights was not viable. The treaty bodies could hold one of their sessions in another part of the world. International and local-level moot courts and moot court competitions for students could be organized, in order to ensure that future generations internalized the values enshrined in the declarations. 40. Ms. Pavey said that elections for treaty body members were held primarily in New York and that the candidacies were not reflective of the human rights spirit. The membership of the human rights mechanisms and bodies should be more diverse. With regard to the effectiveness of the human rights system, the treaty bodies should not only issue recommendations, but also share best practices on the protection of human rights at the local level, thus making local communities aware of viable and effective solutions to human rights-related issues. C. Concluding remarks 41. Ms. Pavey said that one of the greatest challenges regarding the universal implementation of human rights was resistance to human rights-based principles and values due to the persistence of various cultural beliefs and harmful traditional practices. In order to tackle that challenge, States needed to reach a consensus among wider society by organizing awareness-raising initiatives and cultural campaigns alongside the adoption of legislation prohibiting discriminatory practices. One of the greatest achievements of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action had been the creation of an environment that brought together civil society organizations and States. In the light of the above, the moment had arrived to turn domestic legislation and international treaties into reality and to integrate them into national and local cultures. 42. Mr. Strohal recalled that the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action revealed the capacity of the international community to make, and to successfully see through to the end, an effort. The human rights system had been firmly established, with legal and institutional frameworks at the national, regional and international levels. One way to enhance the system’s implementation would be to promote the politics of inclusion and engagement by turning the Programme of Action into real action. That point should be further addressed at a future high-level expert conference in Vienna, to be organized by the Government of Austria in order to assess the achievements and developments since the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. 43. Mr. Heyns noted that one of the issues that remained to be addressed was that of overemphasis of nationalism and sovereignty. There were values and principles that transcended sovereignty, such as those enshrined in the Universal Declaration. The act of embracing those values formed part of the exercise of sovereignty. As a part of future work, the Universal Declaration must be disseminated at the grass-roots level. 44. Ms. Farha stated that she hoped that all States would ratify the Option Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the coming years, in order to demonstrate their belief in the indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights. 8