A/HRC/4/109 page 8 30. Article 9 of the Minorities Declaration is a cornerstone for pursuing the inclusion of minority issues into the work of members of the United Nations family, as it stipulates that “[t]he specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system shall contribute to the full realization of the rights and principles set forth in the present Declaration, within their respective fields”. Efforts need to be directed towards integrating minority issues into the work of United Nations country teams, activities under Action 2, and the Common Country Assessment/United Nations Development Assistance Framework and PRSPs. The United Nations development agencies, including UNDP, are well placed to influence and work on the multidisciplinary dimensions of minority issues and to focus on disparities and inequalities. In this regard, note may be taken of the most recent consultation organized by UNDP in cooperation with the independent expert on minority issues and OHCHR to consider the question of engaging with minorities in development processes. The conclusions and recommendations emanating from this meeting concerned possible steps for the future incorporation of minority issues into the work of UNDP on democratic governance, social inclusion, conflict prevention and resolution, and civil society partnerships. As a follow-up to the consultation, the Democratic Governance Group within the UNDP Bureau for Development Policy has prioritized further work on “Minorities in Development” in its workplan for 2007. 31. OHCHR established the Minority Fellowship Programme in 2005 with a view to building the capacity of civil society and empowering representatives of minorities to know their rights and to use United Nations human rights mechanisms. A total of 21 persons have benefited from the Programme since its inception: 5 in 2005, 6 in spring and, exceptionally, 10 in August 2006, to coincide with the twelfth session of the Working Group on Minorities. The participants have come from different ethnic, religious and linguistic communities from all regions of the world: representatives of the community of Copts in Egypt, Palestinian Arabs in Israel, Turkmen in Iraq, Muslim women in Canada, Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan, Roma in Kosovo, Bulgaria and Hungary, Afro-descendants in Uruguay, Dalits in India and Nepal, Kurds in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Khasi in India, Kachin in Myanmar, Terik in Kenya, Ogoni in Nigeria, Karamoja in Uganda, Wayeyi in Botswana and Anywa in Ethiopia. Thus, the majority of participants in the Minority Fellowship Programme come from non-European countries. IV. CONCLUSIONS 32. The present report identifies some of the principal interventions undertaken under the aegis of the OHCHR that aim at strengthening the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. The report notes the efforts that are being made to promote dialogue and mutual understanding on thematic issues and to support capacity-building of States that request such assistance for the implementation of human rights, including minority rights, through the complementary mechanisms of the Working Group and the independent expert. The Human Rights Council is mandated to serve as a forum for dialogue on thematic issues on all human rights and, therefore, may wish to consider how it can maintain and improve existing mechanisms, including a forum on minority issues offering opportunities for the meaningful participation of civil society and a special procedure of the Council. -----