Regional Forums on Minority Issues

The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues is tasked with promoting the implementation of the Minorities Declaration, which clearly includes the Rights of Persons Belonging to Linguistic Minorities.

The Special Rapporteur on minority issues, in coordination with the Tom Lantos Institute, has organized a series of Regional Forums focusing on different themes. The main purpose of the Regional Forums is to strengthen links with regional organisations so as to raise awareness of minority issues and the protection the rights of minorities, and to provide regional insights and expertise which feed into the thematic work of the Special Rapporteur for his report to the UN Human Rights Council and UN General Assembly.

These will also inform the work and recommendations of the UN Forum on Minority Issues. Based on the contributions of the participants, one of the main outputs from the regional forums is a document with practical recommendations reflective of regional contexts and challenges.

Past events:

• 2022: Regional Forums on the 30th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the rights of minorities
• 2021: Regional Forums on Conflict Prevention and the protection of the Human Rights of Minorities
• 2020: Regional Forums on Hate Speech, Social Media and Minorities
• 2019: Regional Forums on Education, Language and the Human Rights of Minorities