A/HRC/52/27 C. Review, rethink, reform: the calls to move forward 52. As the saying goes, it is in the darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. This is true in the sense perhaps that the Declaration was at the outset an incomplete story, since it did not represent the culmination of efforts to protect the human rights of minorities and prevent violent conflicts, but was rather a first step towards further developments. 53. It is also true in that, while minorities as a marginalized group may have lagged behind in the mainstreaming of their rights and their integration in the work of the United Nations since the adoption of the Declaration, minorities themselves and their organizations – and a significant number of States – seem to be focusing on the light, as shown by their increasingly visible expression of wanting to engage and be heard and seen at the United Nations, clearly and constructively calling for steps to move forward in implementing the promises and hopes of the Declaration, to better protect and reflect the central role of their human rights in so many areas of concern for the international community, such as hate speech, statelessness, the prevention of conflicts and genocide, and many others. It is also noteworthy that civil society organizations and other entities outside the United Nations have actively developed new areas of research on the protection of the rights of minorities (the Institute for Minority Rights at the European Academy of Bolzano), conflict prevention and minorities (including, the Åland Islands Peace Institute, the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination and the Center for Autonomy Experience at the European Academy of Bolzano) and taken up the challenges linked to combating growing hate speech targeting minorities and other grave and growing violations of their human rights, such as statelessness and direct threats to their identities as regards language and religion. In 2022, there were also other positive events and practices highlighted, including the thirtieth anniversary of the dispute settlement to South Tyrol, highlighting how two Governments – Italy and Austria – managed to resolve tensions around minority grievances and claims of exclusion and discrimination and conflicts peacefully through years of negotiations and a process of dialogue, and the protection of the rights of minorities. 54. Another positive sign can be seen in the almost exponential growth in the participation of minorities at the United Nations and regional forums. Before the pandemic, the number of participants in the Forum on Minority Issues had exceeded 600 in recent years, with the most recent session of the Forum in 2022 recording that number, despite the remaining travel obstacles for some minorities outside of Western Europe. During the four years since 2019, the regional forums have involved some 1,617 participants, including 68 different States attending on 107 occasions, and with 676 recommendations. On a regional basis, these can be broken down as: Europe and Central Asia, 615 participants and 51 States (four regional forums held); Asia and the Pacific, 419 participants and 24 States (four regional forums held); Africa and the Middle East, 350 participants and 13 States (three regional forums held); and the Americas, 233 participants and 19 States (two regional forums held). 55. The large and increasing participation of delegates at the Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva, the regional engagement and mobilization of minorities – and States – when they are presented with greater access and opportunities to participate in their own areas of interest with the regional forums, as well as the frequent communications and requests presented to the Special Rapporteur in his awareness-raising and communications activities all confirm the need and desire for greater United Nations engagement on minority issues. 56. The success of and contributions from the regional forums can be seen as a positive development that may contribute to a new momentum and mobilization, especially when combined with an institutional acknowledgement at the United Nations. The General Assembly high-level event on 21 September 2022 to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration was a significant moment as it recognized the importance of minority rights protection and signalled that a new impetus was needed. 57. The messages heard and views transmitted are almost universal, namely that: the overall situation at the United Nations is close to one of “negligence and inaction” and the Forum on Minority Issues is important but insufficient since it is limited to only two days, with little or no funding compared with that for other marginalized groups at the United Nations. 13