A/78/306 an important opportunity to evaluate the state of protection of minority rights and chart the way forward. 6. In their opening remarks, the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General observed that the protection of minorities was integral to the mission of the United Nations and they recognized the importance of the Declaration. They deplored the current lack of protection of minority rights and urged States to acknowledge the value brought by the full protection of minority rights to the overall stability, inclusivity and sustainable development of States. Furthermore, the Secretary-General noted that thirty years since the adoption of the Declaration, the world was falling far short of upholding the principles of that Declaration. He also noted that humanity was not only dealing with gaps but with outright inaction and negligence with regard to the protection of minority rights, and he called for the high level meeting to serve as a catalyst for action. 1 Other speakers in the opening segment highlighted specific crises and issues affecting minorities disproportionately and which were exacerbated by structural inequalities. In that regard, they highlighted climate change, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, hate speech in social media and statelessness. 2 7. The general debate included statements by 64 Member States, 3 observers and 4 non-governmental organizations. The challenges in protecting minority rights outlined by the speakers ranged from long-standing grievances of minority groups which could serve to destabilize countries and regions, to minorities being instrumentalized as a pretext to justify war and being used as scapegoats on the Internet and social media. Speakers highlighted th e disturbing trends in the violation of minority rights, including threats, harassment, intimidation, violence and even calls for genocide, on the basis of ethnicity, national or social origin, race, religion or language or other characteristics. 8. In terms of good practices, some speakers highlighted constitutional and legal frameworks as the bedrock for change at the national level, such as the adoption of innovative legislation that could grant birth certificates to stateless persons born in a given country. The representation of minorities in parliament and election processes was mentioned as means to promote their participation in public life. Interreligious dialogue was noted as a good example for promoting understanding and peace. Several speakers emphasized that ensuring access to higher education for minorities delivered in minority languages was good practice. Another good practice highlighted was the establishment of independent human rights bodies for the protection of minority rights, with the financial support necessary for ensuring their effectiveness. Some speakers underlined the need, in the aftermath of the COVID -19 pandemic, to protect the right to health of minorities, including by granting access to health -related information in minority languages, and underscored the importance of universal health coverage as a tool in protecting the right to health. 9. Several speakers called for action by Member States and the international community for strengthening the protection of the rights of min orities. One speaker highlighted the commitment of States to leave no one behind, and the need to address multiple, aggravated and intersecting forms of discrimination. Many delegations stated the need to reinforce protection for religious minorities and t o guarantee the participation of minorities, including the effective participation of minority women, in peace processes, conflict prevention and conflict analysis. __________________ 1 2 23-15674 See António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, remarks at the high-level meeting on the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, September 2022. See https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1a/k1au2ueyt4. 3/17