A/HRC/22/27
indigenous peoples, women, small farmers, those living in poverty and vulnerable groups
should all be respected in participatory processes.
6.
On 27 July, the High Commissioner raised serious concerns about ongoing human
rights violations in the State of Rakhine, Myanmar, following the violence that erupted
between Buddhist and Muslim communities. She urged a prompt and independent
investigation to bring light to the situation.
7.
She also raised a range of minority issues during her country visits. For example, on
7 June, during her mission to Pakistan, the High Commissioner expressed hope that the
country would reform and update its school curricula and materials to better promote
tolerance and human rights, especially with regard to religious and other minorities. On 10
July, during her mission to Kyrgyzstan she stated that discrimination, especially on ethnic,
religious and gender grounds, remained a deeply problematic issue, with ethnic and
national minorities significantly underrepresented in the executive Government and
bureaucracy, law enforcement bodies and judiciary. On 13 November, during her mission
to Indonesia, the High Commissioner expressed distress at reports of violent attacks, forced
displacement, denial of identification cards and other forms of discrimination and
harassment against religious minorities from the Ahmadiyya, Christian, Shia and traditional
belief communities. She also expressed concern about police failing to provide adequate
protection in those cases. She recommended that Indonesia amend or repeal the 1965
Blasphemy Law, the 1969 and 2006 ministerial decrees on building houses of worship and
religious harmony, and the 2008 Joint Ministerial Decree on Ahmadiyya.
A.
Twentieth anniversary commemorative activities
8.
The 1992 Declaration on Minorities remains the most important United Nations
instrument devoted to minority rights, providing authoritative guidance and key standards,
ranging from non-discrimination to participation in decision-making, yet it is not
sufficiently invoked in efforts to protect minority rights. The twentieth anniversary
provided an opportunity to address this gap and be a catalyst for greater attention to the
Declaration and its implementation and stronger engagement on minority rights more
generally.
9.
The momentum created by the anniversary and related OHCHR activities, organized
in cooperation with a range of United Nations partners, Governments, representatives of
minorities, and non-governmental organizations, resulted in enhanced engagement with the
Declaration. OHCHR reported on the outcome of the anniversary activities at the fifth
session of the Forum on Minority Issues (27-28 November 2012), devoted to the
anniversary.
10.
OHCHR, in collaboration with the Department of Public Information, has developed
a communication strategy for the commemoration of the anniversary. Its implementation
has included the creation of a distinctive visual identity for the commemoration; a special
section
on
the
OHCHR
website
dedicated
to
the
anniversary
(www.ohchr.org/minorityrights2012); branded promotional materials in all six official
languages (banners, posters, folders); a dozen web feature stories on minority issues,
published throughout the year; press statements of the High Commissioner that focus
primarily on discrimination against minorities; a video interview with the Independent
Expert on minority issues, Rita Izsák, focusing on the anniversary; and a compilation of all
the recommendations made by the Forum on Minority Issues, published in English, French
and Spanish and branded with the anniversary logo.
4