Effective promotion of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities A/RES/68/172 14. Invites the Independent Expert to report annually to the General Assembly; 15. Calls upon all States to cooperate with and assist the Independent Expert in the performance of the tasks and duties mandated to her, to provide her with all the necessary information requested and to seriously consider responding promptly and favourably to the requests of the Independent Expert to visit their countries in order to enable her to fulfil her duties effectively; 16. Encourages the specialized agencies, regional organizations, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations to develop regular dialogue and cooperation with the mandate holder as well as to continue to contribute to the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities; 17. Expresses its appreciation for the successful completion, in November 2012, of the fifth session of the Forum, which addressed the implementation of the Declaration and which, through the widespread participation of stakeholders, provided an important platform for promoting dialogue on these topics and, as part of its outcome, identified in its recommendations achievements, best practices and challenges for the further implementation of the Declaration, 11 and encourages States to take into consideration the relevant recommendations of the Forum; 18. Invites States, United Nations mechanisms, bodies, specialized agencies, funds and programmes, regional, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions as well as academics and experts on minority issues to continue to participate actively in the sessions of the Forum; 19. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on activities undertaken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Independent Expert and relevant United Nations entities, as well as by Member States, to mark the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration; 12 20. Welcomes the panel discussion held by the Human Rights Council at its nineteenth session to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration, and takes note with appreciation of other multilateral, regional and subregional initiatives aimed at celebrating that anniversary; 21. Welcomes the inter-agency cooperation among United Nations agencies, funds and programmes on minority issues, led by the Office of the High Commissioner, and urges them to further increase their cooperation by, inter alia, developing policies on the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to minorities, drawing also on relevant outcomes of the Forum; 22. Takes note in particular, in this regard, of the establishment of the United Nations network on racial discrimination and the protection of minorities, coordinated by the Office of the High Commissioner and aimed at enhancing dialogue and cooperation between relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, and invites the network to cooperate with the Independent Expert and the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and to consult and engage with persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and civil society actors; _______________ 11 12 See A/HRC/22/60. A/68/304. 5/7