A/71/254 I. Introduction 1. The present report of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues is submitted to the General Assembly at its seventy-first session in accordance with Assembly resolution 68/172 and Human Rights Council resolution 25/5. 2. Section II of the present report provides a brief overview of the activities of the Special Rapporteur. Section III focuses on minorities in situations of humanitarian crises, in particular, examining the specific challenges facing minorities who are already in situations of vulnerability, whether as internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, refugees, or as victims of disasters. The final section presents conclusions and offers recommendations. II. Activities of the Special Rapporteur 3. A summary of the recent activities of the Special Rapporteur is available in her 2015 report at the 31st session of the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/31/56, paras. 2-19) and in the Bulletins available on her Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights website. A. 1. Country missions during 2016 Iraq 4. The Special Rapporteur visited Iraq from 27 February to 7 March 2016. She recognized Iraq’s long history of great diversity, but noted with regret that owing to years of marginalization, conflict, ethnic and religious tensions, and recent terrorism, communities have lost trust in each other and in the Government. Iraqi minorities report feeling targeted, marginalized and unprotected. The Special Rapporteur also observed that while the so-called Islamic State or Daesh has created immense suffering and has targeted certain minority communities, the challenges facing minorities started much longer ago, and go much deeper in Iraqi society. The Special Rapporteur further noted that in view of the displacement crisis and its disproportionate impact on minorities, a law on minority rights protection and on internal displacement should also be adopted and explicitly recognize the rights of all ethnic and religious groups to equal protection and to durable solutions in the form of return to their homes or, where that is not possible or de sired, local integration or resettlement. 5. The Special Rapporteur also made particular note of the situation of the Yezidi community, and stated that information suggests that all atrocities against Yezidis, including killings, bodily and mental harm, have been committed with the intent to destroy them as a community, in whole or in part. She urged that a full investigation into the crimes committed by Daesh and any other parties to the conflict be conducted and that the perpetrators be held accountable for all crimes and human rights violations, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Her full report will be submitted at the thirty-fourth session of the Human Rights Council, in March 2017. 4/25 16-13193