standards relating to the protection of the rights of religious minorities are reflected in national legislation, policies and practices. Ms Nazila Ghanea, presented on “Religious minorities and the question of responsibilities” indicating that the rights of religious minorities were initially primarily upheld through multilateral and bilateral treaties and it was only in 1945 that the UN was formed and the UN Charter adopted international human rights as one of its very objectives. She stated that, though religious minorities found specific mention in article 27 of the ICCPR and the Declaration, their rights were never fully incorporated within the minority rights mechanisms until recently as they had been dealt with under freedom of religion or belief standards. She stressed that persons belonging to religious minorities should not only fully enjoy freedom of religion or belief but also have full access to all human rights including minority rights. She expressed the hope that the Forum would go beyond the ‘victimhood’ of religious minorities and recognize their power to stand up for their own rights and the rights of others but also to use all their resources to contribute to wider society. Mr Brian J. Grim, presenting on “The Connection between Government Policies and Social Hostilities toward Minorities”. He stated that a rising tide of restrictions on religion has swept the globe in the past years and demonstrated this by different facts and figures. For example, he indicated that 40 per cent of countries today have high or very high restrictions on religion coming from Governments or from the actions of groups in society. The brunt of these restrictions is felt most keenly by religious minorities. In particular, 53% of countries in the world today have Governments that have either displayed violence toward religious minority groups or did not intervene in cases of discrimination or abuses to religious minorities. He highlighted several significant patterns in these data including the fact that when Governments have high overall restrictions on religious freedom, minority groups face even more restrictions. He further demonstrated how all religions face these problems although there are patterns faced by different religions. He also stressed that the abuse of religious minorities happens in every region of the world. On the positive side, he indicated that according to data, when religious freedom is guaranteed and restrictions are low religious minorities fare much better, and that there are many social benefits and higher economic and intellectual innovation in countries characterised by high religious freedom. Mr Rodrigo Vitorino Souza Alves, presented on “The protection of religious minorities in the United Nations and Organization of American States’ systems”. He first underlined that the United Nations took a major step with the adoption of the Declaration on Minority Rights, giving a brief overview of the principles enshrined therein and related obligations for States. He then referred to the Inter-American Convention Against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance adopted by the Organization of American States in June 2013. This Convention emphasizes that equality, non-discrimination and separation between State laws and religious norms are fundamental for the peaceful coexistence in pluralistic and democratic societies, and that societies must respect the identity of every person, while creating the conditions that will enable its expression, preservation and development. He highlighted that the Declaration 4