A/HRC/37/26 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 20 December 2017 Original: English Human Rights Council Thirty-seventh session 26 February–23 March 2018 Agenda items 2 and 3 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Summary In its resolutions 13/12, 22/4 and 31/13 concerning the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, the Human Rights Council requested the High Commissioner for Human Rights to present an annual report to the Council containing information on relevant developments in the work of United Nations human rights bodies and mechanisms and on the specific strategies and activities undertaken by the Office of the High Commissioner at headquarters and in the field that contribute to the promotion of and respect for the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. The present report covers the activities carried out between January and December 2017. In the year of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, patterns of discrimination and incitement to racial or religious hatred and violence, particularly against ethnic or religious minorities have been recurrent. The strategies and initiatives undertaken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in line with the guidance note of the Secretary-General on racial discrimination and protection of minorities, aim to promote the implementation of the Declaration, with a view to advancing the realization of the rights of persons belonging to minorities. In that regard, respect for religious diversity and religious dialogue, reflection on the importance of investing in minority youth, disaggregated data on minorities and the participation of minorities in decision-making are essential for fostering peaceful societies and reducing inequalities. GE.17-22922(E) 