Summary

The Special Rapporteur provides a summary of his activities since his previous report to the General Assembly, along with a thematic study on the concept of a minority in the United Nations system.

In the section on activities, the Special Rapporteur highlights continuing work on the thematic priorities of statelessness, and education and minority languages; initiatives on a more regional approach to minority issues; country visits; communications; and other activities. In the section on the concept of a minority, the Special Rapporteur reviews the history, approaches and jurisprudence on this concept within United Nations mechanisms and entities in order to provide greater clarity for his own mandate and all other stakeholders in upholding the human rights of minorities. He makes a number of recommendations in order to ensure greater clarity and consistency for United Nations entities, as well as for other stakeholders, and makes recommendations with regard to an emerging crisis involving minorities.