Forum on Minority Issues

Second Session of the Forum on Minority Issues
12 and 13 November 2009

About the Forum on Minority Issues

Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 6/15 of 28 September 2007, a forum on minority issues has been established. The forum is to provide a platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation on issues pertaining to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, which shall provide thematic contributions and expertise to the work of the independent expert on minority issues. The Forum shall identify and analyze best practices, challenges, opportunities and initiatives for the further implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities.

The Forum meets annually for two working days allocated to thematic discussions. The independent expert on minority issues, Ms Gay McDougall, shall guide the work of the Forum and prepare its annual meetings and shall report on the thematic recommendations of the Forum to the Human Rights Council.

The same resolution has requested the President of the Human Rights Council to appoint for each session, on the basis of regional rotation, and in consultation with regional groups, a chairperson of the Forum among experts on minority issues; Barbara Lee, Member of the United States House of Representatives, has been appointed as Chairperson of the Forum on Minority Issues.

Dates and venue of the 2nd session of the Forum

The second session of the Forum took place on 12 and 13 November 2009 in Room XX at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Thematic focus of the 2nd session of the Forum

The thematic focus of the 2nd session of the Forum was: "Minorities and Effective Political Participation"

Participation in the Forum on Minority Issues

Human Rights Council resolution 6/15 establishes that the Forum shall be open to the participation of States, United Nations mechanisms, bodies and specialized agencies, funds and programmes, intergovernmental organizations, regional organizations and mechanisms in the field of human rights, national human rights institutions and other relevant national bodies, academics and experts on minority issues and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council; the Forum shall also be open to other non-governmental organizations whose aims and purposes are in conformity with the spirit, purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, based on arrangements, including Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31 of 25 July 1996, and practices observed by the Commission on Human Rights, through an open and transparent accreditation procedure in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Human Rights Council, which will provide for the timely information on participation and consultations with States concerned.

Forum Reports

Human Rights Council resolution 6/15 requests the Chairperson to prepare “a summary of the discussion of the Forum, to be made available to all participants of the Forum”. The summary of the 2008 session of the Forum is posted on the Forum’s web site.

The same resolution invites the Independent Expert “to include in her report thematic recommendations of the Forum (…) for consideration by the Human Rights Council”. The Recommendations of the 2008 session of the Forum were presented by the Independent Expert to the Human Rights Council at its 10th session in March 2009. They are posted on the Forum’s web site.

Secretariat contact details

The Secretariat for the Forum on Minority Issues can be contacted at the following address: minorityforum@ohchr.org.

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