A/50/514 English Page 7 international humanitarian law committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. III. ACTIVITIES OF THE RELEVANT ORGANS AND BODIES OF THE UNITED NATIONS GIVING DUE REGARD TO THE DECLARATION IN THE EXECUTION OF THEIR MANDATES A. Commission on Human Rights 22. The Commission on Human Rights, at its fifty-first session in 1995, considered the reports prepared by the Secretary-General on the subject (A/49/415 and Add.1 and E/CN.4/1995/84). In its resolution 1995/24 the Commission, noting with appreciation the working paper prepared by the Special Rapporteur of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Mr. Asbjørn Eide (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1994/36 and Corr.1), containing suggestions for a comprehensive programme for the prevention of discrimination and protection of minorities, took note of General Assembly resolution 49/192 in which the Assembly called upon the Commission to examine, as a matter of priority, ways and means to promote and protect effectively the rights of persons belonging to minorities, as set out in the Declaration. In addition, the Commission decided to authorize the request of the Subcommission, contained in resolution 1994/4, to establish, initially for a three-year period, an intersessional working group consisting of five of its members to meet each year for five working days in order to promote the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, as set out in the Declaration, and in particular to: (a) Review the promotional and practical realization of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities; (b) Examine possible solutions to problems involving minorities, including the promotion of mutual understanding between and among minorities and Governments; (c) Recommend further measures, as appropriate, for the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. 23. In its resolution 1995/31, the Economic and Social Council authorized the establishment of this working group. B. Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities 24. The first session of the working group on minorities of the Subcommission was held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 28 August to 1 September 1995. Its report will be considered by the Subcommission at its forty-eighth session in 1996. /...