A/HRC/58/69 I. Introduction 1. The present report was prepared pursuant to Human Rights Council resolutions 6/15 and 19/23. It contains the recommendations made by the Forum on Minority Issues at its seventeenth session, held in Geneva on 28 and 29 November 2024, on the theme “Minority representation and self-representation in public spaces and discourses”. The work of the Forum was guided by the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Nicolas Levrat. The Forum was chaired by Anastasia Crickley, Associate Professor Emeritus at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Chair of Minority Rights Group International and Chair of Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre and the All Ireland Endorsement Body for Community Work Education and Training, who was appointed by the President of the Human Rights Council pursuant to Council resolution 6/15. Almost 790 participants from 96 countries registered for the Forum, including representatives of States, United Nations mechanisms, bodies and specialized agencies, funds and programmes, intergovernmental and regional organizations and mechanisms in the field of human rights, national human rights institutions and other relevant national bodies, minority groups and non-governmental organizations and academics and experts on minority issues. 2. The recommendations in the report, which are drawn primarily from the discussions and contributions made by the participants at the seventeenth session of the Forum, are based on international law as well as on standards and good practices in the area of the protection of minority rights. The recommendations are aimed at providing guidance for the further implementation of, inter alia, the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. 3. Key elements of the legal and normative framework from a human rights perspective include the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. 4. The aim of the seventeenth session of the Forum on Minority Issues was to address the representation and self-representation of minorities in public spaces and discourses. Recognizing the critical role of representation of minorities in society, discussions at the Forum were focused on reducing biases, countering discrimination and enhancing the visibility of minorities in public spaces, education, the media and art and culture. In the discussions, the challenges faced by national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities in achieving fair representation, including issues of invisibility, misrepresentation and the prevalence of negative stereotypes, were highlighted. The Forum sought to explore the societal impacts of biased representations of persons belonging to minorities, including scapegoating, hate speech, discrimination and violence, as well as the broader implications for social cohesion. In addition, the importance and benefits of self-representation, which empower minorities to shape their portrayal in public spaces and discourses, were recognized. Participants were encouraged to share best practices and initiatives, focusing on how selfrepresentation of minorities can counter stigmatization and foster inclusive and diverse societies. 5. The Forum was divided into four panel discussions: (a) “Minority representation in public spaces”, which analysed how representations of minorities in public spaces reflect and shape national narratives and identities; (b) “Minority representation in education”, which addressed how the portrayal of minorities in education plays a crucial role in shaping how minorities see themselves and how they are perceived by society; (c) “Minority representation in the media, including social media”, which explored the role of traditional and social media in shaping public perceptions of minorities; and (d) “Minority representation in art and culture”, which was focused on the representation of minorities in various forms of art and culture and assessed opportunities for minorities to engage in their own cultural and traditional activities. 2 GE.25-00303