Outcome documents The present document is prepared in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 19/23, which requests the Chair to prepare "a summary of the discussion of the Forum, to be made available to all participants of the Forum". This summary is to be complemented by the outcome document containing the recommendations of the Forum presented by the Special Rapporteur on minority issues to the Human Rights Council at its 40th session in March 2019. This summary does not provide the full details of all presentations that were made during the Forum’s proceedings. The list of speakers and the statements submitted to the Secretariat of the Forum on Minority Issues can be accessed in the following website: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Minority/Pages/Session11.aspx Item I. Opening meeting The President of the Human Rights Council, H.E. Ambassador Vojislav Šuc, welcomed all participants and stressed that the Forum serves as a unique platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation on issues pertaining to national, or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, and aims to provide thematic contributions and expertise to the work of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues. Addressing the theme of the Forum he referred to UNHCR’s estimation that three quarters of the world’s populations belong to minorities. He stated that the Forum would, inter alia, analyze practices, challenges, opportunities and initiatives in addressing statelessness as a human rights issue, inter alia, through exploring the interconnection with the promotion and protection of the human rights of persons belonging to minorities. The President highlighted the interactive, inclusive and universal character of this Forum as the foundation of its strength and importance. He reiterated the Human Rights Council’s deep appreciation for the tireless work of civil society organizations and human rights defenders around the world, often at risk of their own lives and their families and reconfirmed the Council’s commitment to protect all those individuals who cooperate with the United Nations and its mechanisms against any act of intimidation, harassment or reprisal. He hoped the Forum would act as a catalyst for action to better prevent and address the impact of humanitarian crises on minority communities. He concluded by recalling the commitment of the Human Rights Council to protect the rights and lives of all individuals who cooperate with the United Nations and its mechanisms in the field of human rights. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, H.E. Madam Michelle Bachelet addressed the Forum through a video message. The High Commissioner highlighted that the Forum is an opportunity for member states to engage with minorities, civil society organizations and UN bodies, to share policies and practices, and to develop recommendations to uphold the rights of persons belonging to minorities. She emphasized the importance of the theme of the Forum, stressing that to be stateless often means being deprived of access to many essential human rights and fundamental freedoms, since stateless people face a life without education or employment opportunities, and without adequate access to medical care or other basic human rights and public services, including access to justice, making them particularly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. The High Commissioner emphasized that people are made stateless by policies which fail to ensure that all persons are provided with a nationality without 2