A/HRC/34/53 to prevent and resolve violence and to intervene effectively where States failed in their responsibility to protect minorities. 7. Role of minorities in advocating for their rights 53. The previous mandate holder emphasized that while Governments bore the primary responsibility for protecting and ensuring the rights of all within society, minorities themselves had a vital role and important responsibilities relating to their own communities and their place and integration in wider society. Therefore, the Special Rapporteur recognizes and applauds the work of grass-roots organizations and individuals in every region of the world working with and on behalf of disadvantaged minority communities to protect and promote their rights. 54. To date, the present Special Rapporteur and the previous mandate holder together sent a total of 26 communications to Member States jointly with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, addressing situations whereby minority rights defenders were targeted because of their work. Some of them suffered reprisals, arrest and detention, as well as expulsion, in connection with their human rights activities. 6 The Special Rapporteur raises her deep concerns about cases of reprisals against minority rights defenders, and urges minority activists to inform her Office whenever any intimidation or reprisal occurs in connection with their work, so that appropriate action can be taken. 8. Increased outreach and networking with minority groups 55. The Special Rapporteur had identified the need to expand the group of minority activists and experts cooperating with the mandate and providing information. She wished to support the establishment of a global network or caucus of minorities that would serve as a communication link between diverse minorities and minority rights-focused nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from all regions and facilitate the sharing of information on a systematic basis among minorities, and between the United Nations and minority groups. She also committed herself to helping the United Nations, in particular OHCHR, to establish and expand contacts with minority civil society organizations. 56. The Special Rapporteur has prepared a contact list of interested minority activists who wished to be kept informed about the activities undertaken under the mandate and who were subsequently included in the mailing list. She also provided contact information to the OHCHR NGO database, which now includes details and information about various minority civil society organizations. She welcomes current initiatives by the OHCHR Indigenous Peoples and Minorities Section to create a database of all minority fellows who participated in the OHCHR Fellowship Programme. She believes that this group of former fellows would be well positioned to make important contributions to the work of OHCHR and the mandate with respect to minorities, eventually forming an important caucus to advance United Nations activities. 6 See, inter alia, communications sent to the Governments of China, case CHN 11/2008 (A/HRC/11/2/Add.1); Colombia, case COL 5/2015 (A/HRC/32/53); Greece, case GRC 3/2012 (A/HRC/23/51); India, case IND 4/2013 (A/HRC/24/21); Lithuania, case LTU 1/2015 (A/HRC/31/79); Malaysia, case MYS 5/2011 (A/HRC/18/51 and Corr.1); Nepal, cases NPL 6/2014 (A/HRC/28/85) and NPL 2/2015 (A/HRC/31/79); and Turkey, cases TUR 2/2011 (A/HRC/18/51 and Corr.1), TUR 6/2011 (A/HRC/19/44) and TUR 1/2012 (A/HRC/20/30). 11