A/HRC/9/8 page 5 of good practices to assist Governments, United Nations officials, non-governmental organizations and others in ensuring that agencies of the criminal justice system and law enforcement agencies are representative of, and responsive and accountable to the community as a whole.1 D. Forum on minority issues 12. Pursuant to Council resolution 6/15, a forum on minority issues has been established. The forum will provide a platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation on issues pertaining to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, which will provide thematic contributions and expertise to the work of the independent expert on minority issues. The forum will identify and analyse best practices, challenges, opportunities and initiatives for the further implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Minorities. It will meet annually for two working days allocated to thematic discussions. The independent expert will guide the work of the forum, prepare its annual meetings and report on the thematic recommendations of the forum to the Council. In resolution 6/15, the Council requested its President to appoint, for each session, on the basis of regional rotation, and in consultation with regional groups, a chairperson of the forum among experts on minority issues. ` 13. The inaugural session of the forum will be held on 15 and 16 December 2008 at United Nations Headquarters in Geneva. Its thematic focus will be on minorities and access to education. Viktória Mohácsi from Hungary has been appointed as Chairperson of the session. III. CONCLUSIONS 14. Since the previous report, the main activities related to minorities undertaken by OHCHR include capacity-building of civil society, staff and other partners; inter-agency cooperation; building thematic expertise; and preparations for the forum on minority issues. The Council is invited to consider whether a final report providing information on OHCHR activities related to minorities in 2008 and a review of relevant developments arising out of the work of the treaty bodies, special procedures and the universal periodic review process should be submitted to the Council at its tenth session. The Council might also consider grouping all reports on minorities, including that of the independent expert on minority issues, the forum on minority issues and the High Commissioner at one time of the year in order to facilitate governmental delegations and permit greater participation by minority organizations in the work of the Council on this issue, if they so wish. Lastly, the Council might want to consider whether it would be more appropriate for the final version of the present report and further reports to be submitted by the High Commissioner instead of by the Secretary-General. ----- 1 An OHCHR report on the expert meeting is available at www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/ minorities/seminar.htm.