A/HRC/22/60 I. Introduction 1. The fifth session of the Forum on Minority Issues, held on 27 and 28 November 2012, focused on practical and concrete measures and recommendations aimed at ensuring the implementation in practice of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. The Chairperson of this session was Soyata Maiga, a Member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights from Mali. The work of the Forum was guided by the Independent Expert on minority issues, Rita Izsák. The more than 400 participants included representatives of Governments, numerous representatives of minority communities from all regions of the world, treaty bodies, special procedures, United Nations specialized agencies, regional intergovernmental bodies, national human rights institutions and civil society. 2. In accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 19/23, the present document contains the recommendations that emanated from the fifth session of the Forum, which sought to provide concrete and tangible outcomes in the form of thematic recommendations of practical value to all stakeholders. 3. The year 2012 marked the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. This anniversary offered an opportunity to raise awareness of the provisions of the Declaration and its principles, to examine the diverse ways in which the Declaration has been used and implemented in practice nationally, regionally and internationally, and the impact that it has had on national legislation, institutional mechanisms and their activities and programmes to advance the rights of persons belonging to minorities. 4. Previous sessions of the Forum have demonstrated that there are different approaches to the protection of the rights of minorities, which take into account historical, cultural and religious factors and political systems. During the fifth session of the Forum, all stakeholders seized this opportunity to share their views on existing practices, approaches and mechanisms that could perhaps be replicated in other countries, and also to discuss potential different and creative ways to further implement the Declaration. 5. In its preamble, the Declaration highlights the important role to be played by the United Nations in the protection of minorities, referring also to the work that has been done in this regard by various actors within the United Nations system. Reference is further made to the important role played by intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in protecting minorities and in promoting their rights. The need to ensure more effective implementation of international instruments relevant to the rights of persons belonging to minorities is highlighted. 6. The recommendations contained in the present document are tailored for and addressed to the wide range of stakeholders responsible for the promotion and protection of minority rights, including Member States of the United Nations and United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, together with national human rights institutions and civil society organizations, and persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities as the bearers of these rights. 7. In addition to the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities and the commentary thereon, the recommendations are based on other international and regional human rights standards, principles and guidelines developed by stakeholders, and on national legislation. The Declaration on Minorities is based on article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The jurisprudence and general comments of the Human Rights Committee 3