A/HRC/52/53 minority groups, such as Hindus and Indigenous Peoples, from violence or land encroachment. While underscoring the importance of the humanitarian contribution of Bangladesh, she also expressed concern about increasing anti-Rohingya rhetoric, stereotyping and scapegoating Rohingya as the source of crime and other problems.26 29. On 1 December 2022, while opening the fifteenth session of the Forum on Minority Issues, the High Commissioner referred to the fact that serious violations of minority rights continued to be at the heart of many violent conflicts. He stressed that through history, it was known that past genocides demonstrated the dangers of hate speech that was directed at minorities. He stated that exclusion, hostility and violence must be decisively addressed, and thus required political will at different levels. He noted that the thirtieth anniversary of the Declaration provided an important opportunity to reaffirm commitments and build new momentum. C. Minorities from descent-based communities 30. In its general recommendation No. 29 (2002), the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination strongly reaffirmed that discrimination based on descent included discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status, thus reaffirming that such discrimination was covered by the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. 31. Following his visit to Nepal, conducted in late 2021, the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights noted that widespread discrimination against Dalits perpetuated intergenerational poverty. 27 The report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, on his visit to Sri Lanka contained reports about members of oppressed castes not being able to own suitable land to secure a livelihood, which forced many to work in conditions that could amount to forced labour, servitude or other slavery-like practices.28 32. In June 2022, OHCHR, in partnership with the International Dalit Solidarity Network, held a virtual round-table discussion, with the participation of 22 experts, on addressing business-related discrimination against minorities belonging to descent-based communities and their exclusion from participation. The discussion focused on implementation gaps with regard to the business and human rights agenda as it concerned descent-based minorities. Participants concluded that business behaviours needed to incorporate broader participation, including of those most at risk. At the event, the Special Rapporteur on minority issues stressed that Dalits and other caste-affected groups were ethnic minorities. He also emphasized the need to explicitly refer to, acknowledge and protect Dalits.29 33. In December 2022, OHCHR held, jointly with The Inclusivity Project and the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent, a side event to the fifteenth session of the Forum on Minority Issues on the situation of minorities belonging to descentbased communities. Participants discussed how to create a platform at the United Nations for dialogue on issues pertaining to descent-based communities and where policy recommendations could be put forward. The event led to recommendations on steps to address gaps in minority rights protection that affected persons belonging to descent-based communities. D. Minorities and contemporary forms of slavery 34. To commemorate the anniversary of the Declaration, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, focused his 2022 26 27 28 29 GE.22-29200 See https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2022/08/un-high-commissioner-human-rights-michellebachelet-concludes-her-official-visit. A/HRC/50/38/Add.2, paras. 23–24. A/HRC/51/26/Add.1, para. 61. See https://idsn.org/leave-no-one-behind-addressing-business-related-human-rights-issues-andexclusion-of-communities-on-the-basis-of-caste-and-descent/. 7