A/HRC/52/27 58. At the same time, while many commented on how minorities lag behind other groups at the United Nations who are protected by treaties, have voluntary funds or permanent forums, and much more, this was not begrudged but seen by some in a positive light. 59. The development of permanent forums for Indigenous Peoples and people of African descent, and voluntary funds or treaties for the many other groups whose rights must be mainstreamed, are often referred to as positive steps and show that the United Nations can and must do more, much more, as the Secretary-General himself admitted. 60. On 21 September 2022, at the high-level event in the General Assembly to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration, the SecretaryGeneral spoke of three core truths enshrined therein, namely: that minority rights were human rights, that the protection of minorities was integral to the mission of the United Nations and that the promotion of those rights was vital to advancing political and social stability and preventing conflict within and between countries. He ended by promising that the commemoration should be a catalyst for action, working together to make the Declaration a reality for minorities everywhere; protecting communities and providing a voice; preventing conflict and ensuring accountability, promoting equality and embracing diversity; and placing human rights at the heart of all that the United Nations does. In essence, that is what is also asked by most minorities in recent years in the Forum on Minority Issues and the regional forums on minorities, and in the submissions and communications to the Special Rapporteur. The main difference is that they have gone further and provided concrete recommendations and proposals for action, which are also reflected in most of the Special Rapporteur’s own recommendations as part of his thematic report on the ways forward to recognize and protect the rights of minorities at the United Nations – and to make, as the Secretary-General himself urged, the Declaration a reality for minorities everywhere. 61. An examination of the hundreds of recommendations emanating from the regional and United Nations forums shows that they are broadly in agreement on how to make the Declaration a reality for minorities everywhere. It is striking how recurrently, in all regions, similar proposals for action are made to better protect minority communities, provide opportunities for their voices to be heard, prevent conflicts by promoting equality and embracing diversity and, first and foremost, place human rights at the heart of what the United Nations does. 62. Globally, they tend to be oriented towards: (a) promoting substantively better and stronger legal protection of the human rights of minorities; (b) mainstreaming minority rights in the United Nations itself; (c) and providing the tools and means for a greater civil society presence, visibility and role at the United Nations, as is increasingly the case for other marginalized groups. 63. There are many more than can be mentioned in this thematic report, but most of the recommendations of the regional and United Nations forums can be consulted online,27 while those of the Forum on Minority Issues are to be found on the web page of the mandate,28 with a convenient search tool also available to facilitate consultations. 29 64. The main, indeed universal and always recurrent, demand has been the call for a treaty to better recognize and protect the human rights of minorities, which would include an implementation mechanism and also more innovative and non-confrontational mechanisms to constructively engage and assist States in more fully complying with their human rights obligations in relation to minorities. The suggestion is that the time has come for the United Nations to move forward and prove that the protection of minorities is integral to the mission of the United Nations and that the promotion of those rights is vital to advancing political and social stability and preventing conflict within and between countries. 65. Many submissions to the Special Rapporteur and even recommendations made at the regional forums and the Forum on Minority Issues have included calls for the United Nations to launch a process, such as drafting a treaty, as a legitimate area of international cooperation 27 28 29 14 See www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-minority-issues/regional-forums-minority-issues. See www.ohchr.org/en/hrc-subsidiary-bodies/minority-issues-forum. See www.minorityforum.info.