access to vital resources and equal opportunities in various spheres such as education, employment, and healthcare. 5. The Forum at the same time recognizes the integrative role played by those genuienly cohesive and inclusive societies that succeed to create conducive environments where dignity and potential of every individual, regardless of their ethnic, religious or linguistic identity, is empowered and valued, where minority communities do more than survive – they thrive, and where they become essential contributors to our shared and sustainable socioeconomic and cultural future. 6. The 16th Forum embarks on exploring solutions and identifying national, regional and international practices in place to safeguarding and enhancing the rights of minority communities more effectively, particularly in the areas of participation in social and economic life. 7. The Forum will build on and update the recommendations prepared at earlier forum sessions, more particularly at the third session regarding “Minorities and effective participation in economic life” (see A/HRC/16/46) and at the 10th session on “Minority youth: towards Divers and Inclusive Societies” (see A/HRC/37/73), as well as the report of the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues to the General Assembly in 2022 on the Protection of the rights of minorities in the institutions, structures and initiatives of the United Nations (A/77/246). B. General Objectives 8. The UN Forum on Minority Issues provides a platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation on issues pertaining to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, as well as thematic contributions and expertise to the work of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues. 9. The 16th UN Forum on Minority Issues aims: - to raise awareness of the main challenges faced by persons belonging to minorities in the context of their socio-economic participation and their equitable access to the employment market, health services, education and technolology; - to identify and analyze opportunities, practices, and initiatives to strengthen the inclusion of minorities in line with the principles and rights enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities and other relevant international instruments; - to contribute to efforts to integrate minority rights into the institutions, structures and initiatives of the United Nations system at the global, regional and country levels, including through coordination among United Nations mechanisms, bodies and specialized agencies, funds and programmes; - to produce thematic recommendations to be reported to the Human Rights Council by the Special Rapporteur. 10. The Forum shall, inter alia, examine effective State legislation, policies and programmes and civil society initiatives. It shall highlight the critical role of other relevant stakeholders, such as international and regional organizations and other forms of cooperation, in reaching the above-mentioned objectives and in eliminating obstacles to the inclusion of people belonging to minority groups in cohesive societies. 2