CHAPTER THREE: DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE _____________________________________________________________________ addition, lack of harmonisation of some of the relevant conventions with domestic law constitutes an obstacle to their applicability and translates to a certain extent into a political will that seems rather equivocal. Apart from these factors, there is the lack of resources and, sometimes, a lack of credibility on the part of the bodies responsible for the promotion of human rights. Ultimately, the absence of a human rights culture both at the state level and at the level of the people is the single-biggest obstacle to the effectiveness of these rights. The result is that, in practice, human rights are often violated, especially by the security forces. 204. The CSAR makes some recommendations for the protection and promotion of human rights in Burkina Faso. These recommendations include the following: • The establishment of a national dialogue to bring about synergy of action among all players in the field: the state, organisations and NGOs in charge of the promotion and protection of human rights, and citizens’ representatives, and thus restore confidence and a dynamic partnership. • The strengthening of the organisational and operational capacities of CSOs involved in human rights or with specific claims. • The stimulation of the CNDH. ii. Conclusions of the CRM 205. Documentary sources and meetings held on the ground allow the CRM to state that respect for and protection of human rights have become a fundamental concern in Burkina Faso. Not only have the fundamental rights of the person been raised to the level of constitutional norms, but the basic charter of 11 June 1991 also proclaims them in its preamble and dedicates the whole of its first title to them, which includes 30 articles divided into four sections. This commitment has also resulted in the accession of Burkina Faso to most international and regional instruments for the protection of the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the person. 206. The creation of a Ministry for the Promotion of Human Rights is another strong sign indicating the commitment of the state of Burkina Faso. Civil and political rights are generally respected and the state is the guarantor of their protection. Freedom of expression and freedom of opinion do not suffer from any particular restrictions. Moreover, Burkina Faso has no political prisoners. Furthermore, freedom of the press is experiencing unprecedented development. Newspapers and radio and television stations have proliferated. Burkina Faso now has four television channels (including three private ones), 73 radio stations and more than 100 newspapers, most of which are privately owned. As far as the press is concerned, there has thus been a shift from the absence of freedom, or controlled freedom during the revolutionary period (in which there was censorship, seizure of newspapers, etc.) to total freedom. 111