A/HRC/55/51 protection of the diversity of identities within national societies contribute to the political and social stability of States. 41. The Special Rapporteur fully endorses and supports that view. However, the scientific evidence supporting such a claim is not as conclusive as it is for biodiversity or the business environment. Academic literature remains divided on the issue.28 The purpose of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate is not to engage in academic debates or controversies. However, using the mandate to collect data and examples of practices in which such contributions by minority groups, through the affirmation of their own identity within a State, further political and social stability, as well as the richness of social life, would constitute an important step in the protection of minorities’ identities and rights. Improvements in the fate of minorities through a better understanding of the crucial contribution that the protection and promotion of diverse identities within national frameworks play – with the likely result of boosting creativity, productivity and dynamic forms of political and social stability at the national level – will be a priority for the Special Rapporteur in his approach to minority issues. Therefore, as a priority for delivering on the mandate, the Special Rapporteur will identify and highlight the ways in which minority identities positively contribute to national identities. V. Specific priorities for the mandate 42. Contrary to the previous section on the Special Rapporteur’s vision of minority issues, which dealt with rather theoretical and complex legal issues, in the present section he will focus on seven very specific and pragmatic priorities. 43. First, and despite all the fascinating theoretical legal issues raised by the inclusion of minority rights in the general scheme of international law, and more specifically international human rights law, the first and highest priority of the Special Rapporteur during his tenure will be the protection and promotion of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. The mandate receives daily communications, allegations and other various inputs related to the difficult situations of persons belonging to minorities as regards the full enjoyment of their human rights. Working to correctly understand the issues raised, in cooperation with Governments, civil society, the academic community (when needed) and other stakeholders, and trying to work with States to seek appropriate measures to improve such situations will take precedence over any other item linked to the discharge of the mandate. 44. Second, as the previous Special Rapporteur highlighted in a report to the General Assembly, there has been a near complete failure to mainstream and integrate the rights of minorities at the United Nations, despite the call to do so by the Secretary-General in his 2013 Guidance Note. 29 Alas, the current Special Rapporteur cannot but agree with that evaluation. Therefore, his second priority for the mandate will be better integration of minority issues in United Nations activities30 and the international community more broadly. While the previous Special Rapporteur sought to draft a new United Nations treaty on minority issues to achieve that end, 31 the current Special Rapporteur will explore other avenues to address the urgent need to better include minority issues in the agenda of the United Nations. 45. Recognizing the value of and the interest in the proposed draft treaty, 32 the Special Rapporteur, through limited consultations, found out that such a draft treaty had much more support from minority advocacy groups and eminent representatives of academia than from States Members of the United Nations. The Special Rapporteur is well aware of the critical role that civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations can play in treaty negotiations, such as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production 28 29 30 31 32 GE.24-00944 For a review of approximately 1,000 scientific publications on the topic as regard ethnic diversity within States, see the study by Peter Thisted Dinesen, Merlin Schaeffer and Kim Mannemar Sønderskov, “Ethnic diversity and social trust: a narrative and meta-analytical review”, Annual Review of Political Science, vol. 23 (2020), pp. 441–465. A/77/246, para. 70. On this theme, see the report by the previous Special Rapporteur on minority issues at the fifty-second session of the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/52/27). A/HRC/52/27, para. 68; and A/77/246, para. 71. For the full proposal, see www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/Annex1.-A-HRC-52-27_0.docx. 11