24 PROMOTING AND PROTECTING MINORITY RIGHTS on three reports: (1) a report prepared by the State under review; (2) comments specific to the reviewed State from treaty bodies, special procedures and other United Nations entities, compiled by OHCHR; and (3) information from other stakeholders, including national human rights institutions and civil society actors, also compiled by OHCHR. The last two are limited to 10 pages each. The outcome emphasizes cooperation and full involvement of the State. The working group adopts an “outcome” document, which includes a summary of the review process, conclusions and recommendations, and any voluntary commitments that the State may make. The Council in plenary adopts the outcome sometime after the review, giving the State an opportunity to determine which of the recommendations it accepts and which it does not. The outcome also includes recommendations which need further examination. It is neither an assessment nor an evaluation of whether or not the State is living up to its human rights obligations. NGOs and other stakeholders may submit information for inclusion in the compilation prepared by OHCHR (the third of the above-mentioned reports), but they can only observe, and not participate in, the working group session – provided they have consultative status with the Economic and Social Council. At the plenary Council session, United Nations entities and stakeholders, including national human rights institutions and NGOs, have the opportunity to make “general comments” before the outcome is adopted.31 Since the universal periodic review addresses the entire range of human rights issues, minority rights are rarely at the forefront of debates. However, the situations of minorities have been raised on a number of occasions, for example, regarding Roma in Slovakia, Tibetans and Uyghurs in China, Oromos in Ethiopia and various minorities in Viet Nam. It is worthwhile, therefore, for minority advocates to contribute written information to OHCHR prior to a review of a State. It also needs to be noted that the second review cycle will focus on implementation of the recommendations made in the first review. The NGO information should therefore concentrate on any recommendations on minorities made in the first review and their implementation (or lack of implementation). NGOs can also contact the Government of a member State of the Council, directly or indirectly, to request that its representative include a relevant minority issue among its recommendations. At the very least, the universal periodic review reinforces the principle that every State has human rights obligations, and reinforces the declarations in the Charter of the United Nations and Universal Declaration of Human Rights that all rights are to be enjoyed “without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion”. As is true for many United Nations and other international mechanisms, the full potential of the universal periodic review can be realized only if civil society contributes to the process and publicizes its outcome at home. Even if they are couched in general terms, the recommendations accepted by the State, and any additional commitments that the State may make, should help minority rights advocates to raise their human rights concerns with the authorities. Forum on Minority Issues The Forum on Minority Issues was established pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 6/15, to provide a platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation on issues pertaining to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, and contributing to the work of the Independent Expert on minority issues (see chap. IV).32 Each session of the Forum considers a particular theme and is Technical guidelines for stakeholders’ submissions are available from www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/ Documents/TechnicalGuideEN.pdf (accessed 29 November 2012). 31 See www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/minority/forum.htm (accessed 29 November 2012). 32