Against the cleansing metaphor, minorities evidence the diversity of the world’s cultures and languages. Their cultures evolve and change, but they have a right to face the world on their own terms. Hence the concern of the Declaration and this Forum. Hence the concern with protecting minorities against violence and atrocity crimes, and enhancing and supplementing their mechanisms for survival. Cultural loss may be as irretrievable as the lost life of a human being. The agenda before you follows a certain logic, moving as it does from the legal framework, root causes of violence and atrocity crimes, to prevention of violence, but also, when violence breaks out, to the resolution of the violent situation and post-conflict protection and security, through to building the peace and managing diversity - bearing in mind that all States exhibit diversity of cultures, languages, and religions. The draft recommendations invite comment in light of this agenda; they are holistic and action-oriented while not neglecting conceptual substance. They invite reflection on the identification and warning of threats and the means to avert them, on necessary data and the role of law, on the role of dialogue that includes reflection on instruments of dialogue, on the role of leadership, on the specific vulnerabilities of women members of minorities, on the concept of responsibility to protect, and on projects of reconciliation. They are open to development and improvement. We look forward to the comments of participants on the draft recommendations, and welcome their input. The best recommendations will combine analytic rigour with sensitivity for the plight of so many human beings caught up in a spiral of violence. Minorities have often lacked a voice. Or their voices are drowned out, silenced by the actions or the hate speech of others. The Forum gives them a voice, the opportunity to express their concerns to this audience, and beyond this room to the world at large. It also gives sovereign authorities a platform for dialogue, and for constructive action – the actions that only they have the power to take. We need to hear all the voices, to be informed, so that national and international policies can be sharpened and made more effective. As Nelson Mandela observed, education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world. The first requirement today is to listen … Patrick Thornberry 23.11.2014