A/72/219 I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 70/166 on the effective promotion of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, requesting the Secretary-General to report on activities undertaken by Member States, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, relevant United Nations entities and other stakeholders to enhance the implementation of the Declaration and to ensure the realization of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. 2. The report highlights general developments at the United Nations and subsequently focuses on selected areas for action, noting human ri ghts challenges and the measures taken by Member States, national human rights institutions and various United Nations actors to address concerns at both the global and national levels. It is based on the findings and reports of various United Nations bodi es and mechanisms and on the written replies received from Member States and other stakeholders to a note verbale sent by OHCHR on behalf of the Secretary -General. 1 3. This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. Adopted by the General Assembly by consensus in 1992, the Declaration stresses that the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to minorities contribute to the political and social stability of States in which they live. It offers States and other stakeholders guidance on measures to be undertaken to guarantee minority rights with a view to realizing the principles laid down in the Charter of the United Nations and international and regional human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its article 27. 4. Despite the global consensus on the principles of the Declaration, persons belonging to minorities continue to be targets of human rights violations in a range of contexts. Continuous violence against religious minorities, discrimination against Roma, biased law enforcement against people of African descent and many other concerns raised by human rights bodies and others demonstrate how imperative it is to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration with enhanced implementation of all its articles. This requires concerted efforts by authorities at all levels, non-governmental organizations and minority representatives. 2 II. Key United Nations developments 5. According to article 9 of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system shall contribute to the full realization of the rights and principles set forth in the Declaration. This task affects all three pillars of the United Nations, human rights, development and peace and security, and requires system-wide, coordinated engagement. Such work is __________________ 1 2 2/12 The submissions received are available for consultation at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). See, for example, A/HRC/34/53, in particular its paras. 57-104; and the joint statement of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent and the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March 2017, available from www.ohchr.org/EN/ NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21416&LangID=E. 17-12826