A/HRC/7/23 page 5 (UNDP). Under the auspices of the OHCHR Indigenous Peoples and Minorities Unit and the independent expert, the inter-agency group on minorities was consolidated in 2007. This important initiative provides a regular opportunity for the sharing of information and for the independent expert to meet with agency representatives. A practical outcome of this inter-agency group has been consultation towards the production of a pamphlet entitled “Questions and answers on minority issues” to assist agency field representatives in their handling of minority issues. 7. Pursuing her work in the area of poverty alleviation and realization of the Millennium Development Goals for minorities, in 2007 the independent expert continued consultations with development agencies, including UNDP. Following a commitment made by UNDP in early 2007 to work towards a policy/guidance note on minority issues, she has collaborated with UNDP as part of a task force established for the development of a resource guide on minority issues. An online questionnaire was also completed by UNDP country offices to assist in this process. The next step will be to test and validate the resource guide through regional consultations, one of which has been proposed in Bratislava in 2008. 8. The independent expert considers the prevention of violence and hate crimes against minority groups a core obligation of States under the Declaration on the Rights of Minorities and other universal standards. This leads to a need to be constantly mindful of early warnings of mass atrocities and genocide. In pursuance of that aim, she has sought to strengthen communication and collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and mandates, intergovernmental institutions and non-governmental organizations that focus on the prevention of genocide and the developing responsibility to protect. In 2007, she held substantive dialogues with the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities, Francis Deng, and his predecessor to consider complementarities and potential synergies between their respective mandates. 9. In this respect, from 11 to 13 October 2007, the independent expert participated in a high-level global conference on the prevention of genocide convened by the McGill University Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism. The conference brought together genocide survivors, front-line activists and prominent political and civil society leaders from around the world, with the objective of helping to shape public debate and policy on genocide prevention. The independent expert emphasized the need for enhanced communication within and among United Nations bodies, with greater consideration of minority rights long before mass killing begins. 10. The independent expert welcomes resolution 6/15 adopted by the Human Rights Council at its sixth session, in which the Council established a forum on minority issues. The forum will provide a platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation on issues pertaining to persons belonging to minorities, which will provide thematic contributions and expertise to the work of the independent expert. In accordance with resolution 6/15, the forum will identify and analyse best practices, challenges, opportunities and initiatives for the further implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. The forum will meet for two days annually in Geneva and its work will be guided and prepared by the independent expert.