A/72/165 can be critical to preventing disasters from having a disproportionate impact on or further ravaging the lives of minority communities. B. 1. Reports to the Human Rights Council 2012: Priorities for the work of the Independent Expert and the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (A/HRC/19/56) 23. This first report submitted to the Human Rights Council outlines the then Independent Expert’s reflections on how to fulfil the requirements of her mandate and promote the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. In this connection she identifies areas of focus, including the rights of linguistic minorities; the rights and security of religious minorities; recognition of min orities; crosscutting issues, such as young people and women belonging to minorities; achieving the Millennium Development Goals for disadvantaged minorities; the role of minority rights protection in conflict prevention; the role of minorities in advocat ing their rights; and increased outreach and networking with minority groups. 24. As the year 2012 marked the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration, the Independent Expert welcomed and encouraged activities in all regions to mark the anniversary and to raise awareness of the Declaration and the rights of minorities. She also noted the important role of specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system regarding the promotion and protection of minority rights. 2. 2013: Rights of linguistic minorities (A/HRC/22/49) 25. Globally, many minority languages are under threat of significant decline or disappearance owing to such factors as the dominance of national and international languages, processes of assimilation and decline in minority-language users. In many cases, the disappearance of minority languages is a result of the failure to protect minority rights, including the lack of national legal protection for minority languages. 26. For minorities, language is a central element and an expression of their identity and of key importance in the preservation of group identity. In many cases, a strong community desire exists to maintain minority languages as a core and indispensable element of culture and identity. Even if this is sometimes viewed by Governments as divisive and counter to State ideologies and policies to promote national identity, national unity, integration and territorial integrity, States are obligated to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of li nguistic minorities, and restrictions must be in the public interest and proportional to the aims sought. 27. Globally, grievances and tensions relating to language rights and the rights of linguistic minorities have emerged and have even led to conflict. Restrictions on the rights to use minority languages freely may be, or may be interpreted as, a threat to minority identity. It is important to acknowledge that issues relating to linguistic minorities and their rights may have implications for security a nd national stability. Protection of linguistic minority rights is a human rights obligation and an essential component of good governance, efforts to prevent tensions and conflict, and the construction of equal and politically and socially stable societie s. To create unity in diversity requires dialogue with all stakeholders, including on how to accommodate appropriately the language needs and rights of all groups. 17-12138 7/22