A/HRC/FMI/2019/1 Discussions During the two-day session, participants will be invited to contribute to four panel discussions under the general topic “Education, Language and the Human Rights of Minorities”. Each panel discussion will be introduced briefly by a number of experts and facilitated by a moderator, who will guide the discussion towards the formulation of specific recommendations. Recommendations emanating from three regional forums (Africa and the Middle East; Asia and the Pacific; and Europe) held in 2019 under the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues will also be considered, in order to include greater regional input and views on the issues to be discussed at the twelfth session of the Forum. Participants will be encouraged to make statements or comments, to answer questions from the moderator and to suggest recommendations to be included in the outcome document that the Special Rapporteur will present to the Human Rights Council at its forty-third session, in March 2020. 2. Human rights and minority language education Education in, and the teaching of, minority languages is an essential issue for many minorities around the world. Although a number of international and regional human rights instruments address the issue, gaps remain in identifying the relationship between human rights obligations and the use of minority languages in education. Participants will discuss the rights enshrined in international and regional human rights instruments providing for education in, and the teaching of, minority languages. The loss of linguistic diversity is a loss for humanity’s heritage. Respectfully accommodating linguistic diversity is a hallmark of an inclusive society, and one of the keys to countering intolerance and racism. Inclusive education is also intimately connected to human rights obligations in that it involves equal learning opportunities for all, including speakers of minority languages, without any discrimination. The participants will explore the benefits of education in minority languages and the benefits of acquiring fluency in official and other languages. They will draw comparisons and discuss these issues through a human rights-based approach, including in the context of ensuring the right to education for all. This is particularly important for the education of minority children, who often face significant challenges in accessing quality education and who often drop out of school because education is not provided in their own language. Discussions will highlight the positive, empowering effect of education in, and the teaching of, minority languages, in particular with regard to the effective participation in public life by persons belonging to minorities. Participants will address the specific needs and preferences of minorities with regard to pedagogical approaches, and methods for teaching in, and the teaching of, minority languages. 3. Public policy objectives for education in, and the teaching of, minority languages Participants will consider how public policies should facilitate the effective implementation of the human rights of persons belonging to minorities in the use of their languages in education. They will discuss the need for promoting such education with the purpose of preserving and promoting minority languages and identities. Participants will also consider ways to effectively implement Sustainable Development Goal 4, aimed at ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. They will consider minority language education and its relationship to social development and cohesion, and the strengthening of inclusive and tolerant societies. Discussions will highlight the importance of recognizing and promoting the educational needs of minorities as a crucial component for the promotion of society’s diversity, and thus as an important factor in reducing inter-ethnic tensions and preventing conflicts. In addition to legislative, institutional and policy measures, it is essential that appropriate resources and effective approaches are put in place for education in, and the teaching of, minority languages. Participants will discuss the efficient and non-discriminatory use and management of resources, including by members of minority communities themselves, as 2