Ethno-culture and State boundaries seldom overlap (OSCE 2008). Ethnic minorities themselves transcend State frontiers. Their bridging role is the key to develop an integrated, harmonious and sustainable socio-economic Adriatic Space. Such role however is not yet predictable and the quest for the satisfaction of ethnic minorities rights may cause political tension, socio-economic marginalization or even radicalization processes. Ethnicity is now defined mainly in cultural and political terms rather than by race, and its definition is open to changing social attitudes and values. Following the New Ethnicity approach, the term new minorities is used to denote minority groups resulting from the labour migrations (EUMC 2005). The Adriatic ethnic landscape includes historical minority groups, national communities and large new minorities. However, such distinctions are often blurred and it is possible to picture a homogeneous framework of criticisms: high risk of poverty, unequal access to public services and labour market, low level of integration at school, discrimination attitudes and prejudices - also in Media –, womens high exposition to violence, and low representation in civil society. All IPA Countries have constitutional and legal provisions that protect minority rights, but these rights are not appropriately monitored or implemented. Also, several States are still quite far from including minorities in the respect of diversity. Overcoming such social exclusion is a matter of fairness, of social solidarity and, consequently, of democracy, as is, at the same time, a basic lever to promote the Adriatic socio-economic sustainable development. SIMPLE aims to achieve social cohesion among Adriatic Countries through the strengthening of cultural diversity values, in order to improve the life quality and the attractiveness of the Adriatic Region.It is an unprecedented and innovative institutional cooperation and capacity building project,showing possible governance systems to address locally the minority issues by a wide area strategy.The cross-border multilevel Partners (including Public Authorities, minority and Third sector organizations from Croatia, Italy, Montenegro, Albania, Slovenia) will develop jointly a comprehensive strategy (Adriatic Action Plan for strengthening minority groups cultural identity) aiming at: - Addressing minority-specific problems by targeted governance solutions: SIMPLE tackles the 5 main minority exclusion issues (service accessibility; labour; education; information; womens social protection), through targeted governance models showing feasible governance options (guidelines), developing intensive capacity building actions for professionals (cross-border intensive training and workshops) and actual testing of innovative supporting services to enhance the multi-ethnic dimension of public and private citizens governance (pilot actions). - Increasing the ethno-cultural sensitivity: SIMPLE promotes the multi-culturalism, mutual respect based on the recognition of diversity and the strengthening of minority identity as factors of socio-economic development. The mainstreaming plan follows 2 directions: the dissemination of governance models and tools in Adriatic Countries (mainstreaming workshops and conferences); an innovative communication directed to people, young in particular, through traditional and web-based Media (online monthly magazine, fair news broadcast, Adriatic journalist award, school and national media campaign). The establishment of the annual Adriatic Intercultural Day will be the symbolic event to give wider visibility to cultural diversity and non-discrimination within the Adriatic society. The Adriatic Permanent Observatory on Minority Communities established in Istria will provide the Adriatic Area with effective monitoring on minority policies as well as an important tool for the pro-active institutional promotion of minority issues.