Format of the Forum The Forum followed the procedure developed over its previous sessions. To help focus the discussions and ensure that they would be interactive, each agenda item was introduced by several invited panellists, followed by interventions from the participants. Outcome documents The present document has been 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 61st session in March 2026.3 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 integral version of the statements submitted to the Secretariat of the Forum on Minority Issues can be accessed on the Forum’s webpage.4 The list of recommendations of the Forum will be published in the report presented by the Special Rapporteur on minority issues to the Human Rights Council. Opening of the Forum The following panelists provided the opening remarks of the Forum: H.E. Mr. Razvan Rusu, Vice-President of the Human Rights Council; Mr. Volker Türk, High Commissioner for Human Rights; Prof. Nicolas Levrat, Special Rapporteur on minority issues; and H.E. Ms. Caroline Ziadeh, Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of the Lebanese Republic to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Chair of the eighteenth session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues. The Vice-President of the Human Rights Council, H.E. Mr. Razvan Rusu, delivered welcoming remarks. He emphasized the Forum’s role as a unique platform for dialogue, reflection and cooperation on the human rights of national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. Highlighting the 2025 theme, H.E. Mr. Rusu stressed that minorities face persistent challenges but also make vital, often overlooked contributions to cultural life, innovation, community resilience and peaceful, inclusive societies. Recognizing these contributions strengthens minority rights, social cohesion, conflict prevention and sustainable development. As Vice-President of the Human Rights Council, he underlined the Council’s commitment to minority issues through the Special Rapporteur’s mandate and the Forum’s action-oriented recommendations. H.E. Mr. Rusu concluded by encouraging participants to engage actively in shaping recommendations and reaffirming a collective commitment to advancing minority rights globally. In his opening statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Volker Türk, stressed that protecting and including minorities is essential to building diverse, resilient and peaceful societies. While diversity is natural and enriching, he warned that power 3 4 A/HRC/61/65 https://www.ohchr.org/en/events/forums/2025/eighteenth-session-forum-minority-issues 2