A/HRC/RES/19/23 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 10 April 2012 Original: English Human Rights Council Nineteenth session Agenda item 5 Human rights bodies and mechanisms Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council* 19/23 Forum on Minority Issues The Human Rights Council, Recalling the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities adopted by consensus by the General Assembly by its resolution 47/135 of 18 December 1992, and taking into consideration article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as other relevant existing international standards and national legislation, Recalling also all resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, the Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council on the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, in particular Council resolution 6/15 of 28 September 2007, in which the Council established the Forum on Minority Issues and decided to review its work after four years, Noting that 2012 marks the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, Affirming that the above-mentioned anniversary offers an important opportunity to reflect on the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, as well as on achievements, best practices and challenges with regard to the implementation of the Declaration, Commending the Independent Expert on minority issues for the work done and the important role in raising the level of awareness of, and in giving added visibility to, the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and for the ongoing efforts to promote and protect their rights in order to ensure equitable development and peaceful and stable societies, including through close cooperation with * GE.12-13041 The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in the report of the Council on its nineteenth session (A/HRC/19/2), chap. I.