Mr President, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to this seventh session of the Forum on Minority Issues in my capacity as Special Rapporteur on minority issues. Let me first say that I deeply regret that I cannot be with you in person this year due to the imminent arrival of my second child. This year’s session will address a particularly relevant and timely topic, “preventing and addressing violence and atrocity crimes targeted against minorities”. Regrettably, persons belonging to national, ethnic and religious minorities are frequently the victims of violence in all regions of the world. Violence in all its forms destroys the lives of individuals, families and communities and inflicts vast suffering on those affected. It also damages whole societies and causes divisions that can last for generations. We must never forget that behind the cold, hard statistics of genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and other forms of atrocities, are human beings just like us. Their lives must be protected and the stories of those who have suffered from violence must be told to help us protect new generations. Tackling the cycle of violence starts by reflecting on its root causes. A better understanding of root causes allows us to be better at putting in place effective measures to prevent violence from being unleashed. In my recent report to the General Assembly, I stated that the factors and conditions behind the violence experienced by disadvantaged minorities are multiple, including their numerical size, their non-dominant social, economic and political position, historical and unresolved grievances, social stigma against them and the suspicion and prejudice with which they are often viewed by the majority. I would like to highlight here some of the social and political conditions that contribute to make minorities vulnerable to violence, and that I have had the chance to see for myself in some of the countries that I have visited. The existence of gross inequalities and persistent poverty are frequently underlying conditions contributing to making minorities vulnerable to violence. Disadvantaged minorities are frequently the poorest of the poor in society and therefore they are not sufficiently equipped to defend themselves and claim their rights. This disadvantaged position of minorities also translates into a lack of minority members in government positions and law enforcement and justice bodies, which means that their voices, concerns and the early warning signs of violence often go unnoticed. Deficits in democracy, good and inclusive governance and the rule of law create the conditions under which violence against minorities may take place. This is 2