Tenth session of the Forum on Minority Issues
Date
30 November 2017 - 01 December 2017
LOCATION
Room XX of the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
THEME
Minority youth: towards diverse and inclusive societies
The 10th session of the Forum took place on 30th November and 1 December 2017. The Forum discussions focused on finding concrete measures and recommendations for minority youth in areas pertaining to inclusive education, participation to public life, representation in media in the digital age, and the their role on sustainable peace building and stability.
During the first discussion panel, participants discussed and formulated recommendations with regard to access to education, accommodation of minority culture and language in education programmes and facilities. They also discussed on the role of informal education to sensitize youth to tolerance and to religious, cultural and linguistic diversity.
During the second panel, participants raised the issue of political engagement of minority youth, and the importance of representation of minority youth in public institution and reflected on how to increase positive visibility of young minorities in societies.
During a discussion panel on youth and digital media, participants called for a greater efforts to ensure access to digital media for all, including marginalised minority communities, shared initiatives on how to respond to hate speech and bullying on the internet, and discussed the role of minority led media initiative to empower young minority people and to change the mainstream narrative regarding possible bias or stereotype affecting minorities.
Finally, the last panel discussion considered the role of minority youth as agents of change for peace and stability and presented recommendations regarding the need for greater consultation and participation of minority youth in conflict prevention and peace building efforts.
Outcome documents
- Recommendations of the 10th session of the Forum on Minority Issues (A/HRC/37/73)
Further information
- Background information and recommended bibliography
- Annotated Provisional Agenda (A/HRC/FMI/2017/1)
- Programme of Work
- List of Speakers
- List of participants who took the floor
- Webcast of the 10th session of the Forum on Minority Issues
Pre-Forum Day:
A preparatory day took place on 29 November for all participants to the Forum.
10:00 - 13:00 - Welcoming briefing for all participants to the Forum. The Chairperson of the 10th session of the Forum introduced the rules of procedures for the event after which civil society had the opportunity to present themselves to the Special Rapporteur on minority issues. Click here for the agenda of this session.
15:00-18:00 - Thematic Discussion on Racial Discrimination Civil society participants were invited to attend a thematic discussion organised by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The discussion was titled "Racial Discrimination in Today's World: Racial profiling, ethnic cleansing and current global issues and challenges". More information are available at this page.
Chairperson
On 24 October, the President of the Human Rights Council appointed Mr. Tarik Kurdi, from the Republic of the Sudan, to the position of Chairperson of the 10th session of the Forum on Minority Issues. Mr. Kurdi is a retired UNHCR international civil servant, who most recently was the UNHCR country representative in Damascus, Syria (2012-15) and was the Deputy Director of the Bureau for the Middle East and North Africa at headquarters until 2016. Mr. Kurdi brings considerable skills in diplomacy, external relations and a range of skills in leadership and in conceptual and analytical thinking. He has excellent skills in strategy and donor relations. He started his UN career in 1981, and held various leadership positions in more than 10 UNHCR offices in Africa and the Middle East".
List of participants who took the floor
Item 2- Inclusive Education
- Government of Georgia – Youth Delegate
- PM Sudan
- European Language Equality Network (ELEN)
- PM Iraq
- Ukrainian Institute for the Analysis and Management of Policies
- Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation
- Latvian Human Rights Committee
- Jendo Jack, Swedish Institute of Alexandria
- PM Azerbaijan
- European Union of Coptic Organisations for Human Rights
- PM Egypt – point of order
- Romanipe – Canada
- PM Hungary
- Malay Muslim Student from Thailand - London School of Economics
- PM Russian Federation
- World Uyghur Congress
- Non-Resident Madheshis Association Inc.
- AfriForum
- PM South Africa
- Geledes - Instituto da Mulher Negra
- Latvian European Centre for Democracy and Development
- UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
- Association Culturelle Kurde de Genève
- PM Ukraine
- China Ethnic Minorities’ Association for External Exchanges (CEMAEE)
- Youth for European Nationalities
- PM Finland
- PM USA
- Unis Dans la Diversité (Bretagne)
- Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan – Mariya Salim – OHCHR Fellow from India
- Dalit Youth Alliance - Chet Narayan Rasaili - OHCHR Fellow from Nepal
- Maspero
- PM Russian Federation
- Legal Information Centre for Human rights – Estonia
- Southern Mongolia Human Rights Information Centre
- PM China – point of order
- PM Croatia
- Thinkout
- PM Brazil
- Latvian Human Rights Committee
- Association for the Protection of women’s and children’s rights in Iran)
- UN Association of Georgia
- European Centre for Sri Lanka Committee
- PM Egypt
- Global Rohingya Centre
- Association for Human Rights in Kurdistan of Iran-Geneva (KMMK-G)
- Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO) – Nepal
- World Council of Churches, Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
- Centre for Russian Culture in Latvia – Minority Fellow
- Minority Rights Group International
- Demas James Kagar from Sudan – OHCHR Fellow
- PM Sudan – point of order
- World Federation of the Deaf
- Crimean Tatar Youth Resource Centre
- Interruption by NGO
- European Union of Coptic Organisations for Human Rights
- Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre Ireland
- Association pour la Promotion de la Francophonie en Flandres (APFF)
- Muhamet Arifi – OHCHR Fellow Kosovo
- Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe
- Universal Esperanto Association
- Sikh Human Rights Group (Sikh in France)
- Hassan Ali Faiz from Afghanistan – OHCHR Fellow
- China Union of anthropological and ethnological sciences
- Farkhat Ibragimov from Kyrgyzstan - OHCHR Fellow
- Child Development Foundation
- Trieste United NGO
- Bahai Community in Jordan - OHCHR Fellow
- Georgi Marjanishvili from Georgia – OHCHR Fellow
- Association Pro Libertad de Prensa from Cuba
- Centre Zagros pour les droits de l’homme
- Kurdish Committee for Human Rights
- Saavedra Rafael - OHCHR Fellow
- Organisation of Kurmanj People in north Iran
- European Union of Egyptian Communities (human rights)
- PM Egypt – point of order
- United Committee for Economic Development, Social and Cultural Rights – Trieste
- Institute for Planetary synthesis
- Cultural Association of Kurds in Geneva
- PM Syria - point of order
- Ogaden Youth & Student Union (OYSU)
- PM of Ethiopia – point of order
- PM Austria
- Greece
- PM Latvia
- PM Russian Federation
- PM China
- PM Cuba
- European Saudi Human Rights Organisation
- Ahllulbayt Rights Association
- Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist and Christian Unity Council Europe
- Group of Youth for Inter ethnic Solidarity
- Latvian Human rights Committee
- Youth of European Nationalities
- Imam Ali Center Ticino
- Friedensau Adventist University – Simone Emmer
- Organisation for Defending Victims of Violence
- Western Thrace Minority University Graduate Association
- PM China
- Valeria Mayer – OHCHR Minority Fellow
- PM Russia
- CRIOLA
- Jaffna Muslim Community International
- PM United States of America
- Association le Pont
- Yazidis Cultural Center in the Netherlands
- PM Sudan
- Collectif de Bretagne
- World Council of Churches – Mitchell Anderson
- PM Austria
- Pro Regio Siculorum Association
- Association Thendral (India)
- PM Azerbaidjan
- Indikum Ransome Ndikum - Masrter Fellow - Geneva Academy
- ARC-DH Association for the Human Rights of the Azerbaijani people in Iran
- Canadian Coptic Activist Federation
- International Council supporting Fair Trial and Human Rights
- Fellow from Algeria from the Swedish Institute for Dialogue Alexandria
- Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation
- Sabian Mandean Association in Australia
- Student from Thailand/London School of Economics
- Direction aux Affaires Savoisiennes
- Kakaie Ahl-e Haqq Yarsan society in Germany
- Ibrahima Makarios from Swedish Alexandria Institute
- Association Made in Trieste
- Hazar Tahid Abadi (Journalist Republic of Iran)
- PM Romania
- Association de Guney
- Associazione Ezzelino III Da Onara
- Inter regional Charity Civil Society association Volga Migration Centre
- Yasa - Kurdish Centre for Studies and Legal Consultancy
- Health Tech Foundation (Bangladesh)
- European Union of Coptic Organisations for Human Rights
- DimDim Foundation for Humanitarian Relief
- Kabylia Organization/Algeria
- Ezidis Foundation
- Association for the Human Rights of the Azerbaijani people in Iran
- Coptic European Association in Austria
- Qashqaie Human Rights Defender Committee
- Point of Order by Islamic Republic of Iran
- Balochistan United Front- Human Rights Group - Iran
- PM Islamic Republic of Iran
- African/American Society for Humanitarian Aid and Development from Sudan
- KIFA International
- Freedom Front Plus – South Africa (social media)
- Information Group on Crimes against the Person
- Association for the Defence of Ahlulbayt rights
- Popular Assembly Project – Trieste
- Falakadin Kakaie Foundation
- Middle East Centre for Training and Consult
- Trieste NGO (international)
- May 16th Mouvement
- PM Greece
- PM South Africa
- Association Solidarité International pour la Paix – ASIP
- Mbuh Raphael FIMOAT CIG
- Global Rohingya Center
- PM United States of America
- The European Union
- Government of the Republic of the Sudan
- Napiraso – Voice for Ahwazi Women
- Maloca Internationale
- Fuaad Hazim Jameel - belonging to the Ezidi Minority
- Hope for Niger Delta Campaign
- UNPO
- Rights Bahamas
- PM Pakistan
- Aya Manaa OHCHR Minority Fellow
- AFD Legal Profession (West Papua)
- Association Culturelle des Tamouls de France
- Democracy Defenders for Azerbaidjan
- Women’s Group for Human Rights - Egypt
- Asociatia Drepturile Noastre-Jogaink Egyesulet (Hungarian in Roumania)
- PM Myanmar
- Yasa - Kurdish Center for Studies and Legal Consultancy
- Nationaal Vereninging Papua Nieuw Guinea
- Government of Georgia
- Liberation – Bangladesh
- PM Italy
- Association le Pont – Southern Cameroon
- Safadi Center for International Diplomacy and Human Rights
- Romanype Canada
- European Centre for Democracy Development
- GPK Kabylia – Zidane Labdal
- PM Hungary
- OHCHR Minority Fellow – Saw SayLar - Myanmar
- Kurdish Swiss Alliance
- Point of Order – Arabic Republic of Syria
- Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front
- QUBA Community Service
- Asyrian Universal Alliance - American Chapter Inc.
- Mr Said Fayez Samaan from Egypt
- Association for the Protection of Women and Children’s Rights
- Democratic Solidarity Party of Al-Ahwaz
- AfriForum Youth
- CRIOLA
- Sikh Human Rights Group
- Jaffna Muslim Community International
- Jssor Youth Organisation
- Syrian Arab Republic
- PM Egypt
- PM Indonesia
- PM South Africa
- PM Brazil
- Ahwaz Study Center
Additional statements received:
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