Closing remarks by the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Mr. Vernor Munoz Villalobos The Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education recalled that in 2010 he will be submitting report to the Human Rights Council on right to education and migrant and refugee populations. He underlined that many members of minority groups would prefer to remain anonymous rather than to be subjected to discriminatory actions. The Special Rapporteur emphasized the state obligation to protect the human rights of minority populations by the adoption of national instruments, the ratification of international human rights conventions and the interpretation of such standards into local languages. Closing remarks by the Chairperson, Ms. Viktória Mohácsi The Chairperson underlined the centrality of the quality of education. She spoke of issues of desegregation and minority education, the similarity of concerns in various countries and for different vulnerable groups including persons with disabilities. Closing remarks by the Independent Expert on Minority Issues, Ms. Gay McDougall The Independent Expert expressed her gratitude to all participants for having enlarged and enriched the understanding of the challenges facing minority children and for the success of the inaugural UN Forum on Minority Issues. She underlined that challenges remain ahead including the distillation of the suggestions gathered during the previous two days into a revised draft of the recommendations in time for her Annual Report to the Human Rights Council, which will be presented in March. The Independent Expert recalled that the Working Group on Minorities did so much in shaping legal framework for promotion and protection of minorities. She emphasized that all the Treaty Bodies have been critical through their jurisprudence in moving forward the protection of the rights of minorities within the context of their mandates. Professor McDougall highlighted the World Conference in Durban in 2001 and reminded participants that the Forum on Minority Issues sets the stage for input into the Durban review process and the final meeting in 2009. She recalled that the Durban Programme of Action urged states to ensure equal access to education for all in law and in practice and to refrain from measures leading to impose segregation in access to school. ********** 21