Final (3) Empowerment and inclusion of minorities within the structures of the decision- and changemakers are the main drivers, enablers and amplifiers for the promotion of minority rights. Many empirical and data-driven studies demonstrate that the more members of a marginalized group are present within the structures of the decision or change-makers, the greater is their sensitivity and responsiveness to this group. E.g. in Moldova, the UN Diversity Internships launched 7 years ago brought a new wave of diversity within the UN Country Team and resulted into more work on the protection of minorities. The nation-wide Equality Perception surveys performed in Moldova periodically demonstrate one clear trend: the more members of the public interact closely with marginalized groups, the more accepting of these groups the public becomes. Also, in Moldova, two NHRIs with the support of the OSCE Mission are establishing a new advisory body – the Minorities Expert Group – to bring more effectively the minority perspective into the work of these institutions. Yet, this internalization dimension of minority work is often neglected. Internal organizational surveys and studies are rarely done and when done they show a dire picture. E.g. the most recent UN Report on Review of measures and mechanisms for addressing racism and racial discrimination in United Nations system organizations shows that racism is still quite present inside the UN. In this context, inclusion of vulnerable (but empowered!) members of minorities within the institutions and their decision-making is absolutely critical, and I strongly urge this action. (4) The ongoing brutal wars and many other conflicts of present and past stem from fundamental denial of minority rights or from their outright misrepresentation. But if we really want to change this very dangerous trajectory, minority standards should be strengthened normatively, institutionally and in practice. The new universal and comprehensive convention on minority rights proposed by the now former Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Dr Fernand de Varennes, is one such pathway for consolidation. This treaty draft could also be potentially transformed into a novel, pluri-actor global compact with substantive standards for both public and private actors and open for adherence by States and in some form by sub- and non-State actors (notably: cities, regions, businesses and other organizations). I strongly support the proposal of the new international convention on minority rights and I call for inclusion of other important actors – such as cities, regions, businesses – into its ambit. (5) Finally, I recommend UN/OHCHR to introduce and promote within the UN Country Teams a new function – that of a “Minorities Advisor” – to support the work of Human Rights Advisors and Gender Advisors. Other international inter-governmental organizations (such as the CoE, OSCE, OECD, etc.) could also consider introducing Minorities Advisors into their central and field structures. The expertise and advice of Minorities Advisors should help in advancing the awareness about the minority rights and in mainstreaming the minority dimension into the work and outputs of these organizations, as part of a broader human rights and gender-based approach. Thank You for your attention and consideration! 3|Page