Mister Chairperson, High Commissioner, Distinguished delegates and participants, Ladies and Gentlemen, On behalf of the President of the Human Rights Council, it is a great pleasure for me to open this ninth session of the Forum on Minority Issues on “Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises”. Firstly, I would like to warmly welcome and congratulate Mr Mario Yutzis, who has kindly accepted the important task of chairing this session of the Forum and who brings a wealth of experience in the field of minority issues, including as a member of the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination for over 20 years. I also welcome and thank Ms. Rita Izsák-Ndiaye, the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, who is mandated by the Human Rights Council to guide the work of this important Forum and prepare its annual sessions. I would also like to welcome representatives of Member States, United Nations specialized agencies, representatives of human rights mechanisms and bodies, international and regional organizations, national human rights institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations, academics and experts. This Forum is a unique venue to reflect on issues pertaining to minorities through dialogue and cooperation between all stakeholders. I am particularly pleased to see that this Forum has been successful in bringing together hundreds of minorities from all over the world who have travelled to Geneva to share their personal experiences and discuss on challenges and good practices in the protection and promotion of minority rights. I would therefore like to extend a special welcome to all representatives from minority groups who are here today and who will contribute constructively and substantively to the Forum’s discussions, as well as to thank them for their efforts and also sacrifices to come here and be the voice of their communities. The selection of the theme of this Forum’s session cannot be more timely: humanitarian crises across the globe, either resulting from conflict or global challenges such as natural disasters, climate change, epidemics and other major emergencies, have increased dramatically. Within affected communities, minority groups are often the most vulnerable, overlooked or neglected in times of