4th Global Forum on Minority Issues Geneva November 2011-12-05 Remarks by Anastasia Crickley Member UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination National University of Ireland Maynooth, Co Kildare, Ireland Introduction I first and foremost I welcome this 4th Minorities Forum and thank Austria for sponsorship of the resolution at the Human Rights Council which facilitates it. I value being able to participate. I see this as an opportunity to ensure that the outcomes and recommendations of the previous Forums fully reflect realising rights for women from minorities. It is also an opportunity to directly assert minority women’s rights. At the outset I would like to acknowledge and wish Rita Izsák very well in her role as UN Independent Expert on Minority issues. I am very glad, as someone who has worked for many years for Romani and Traveller rights, in particular the rights of Romani and Traveller women, to see a Romani woman taking this role. I would like also to pay a very particular tribute to Gay