A/HRC/22/49 I. Introduction 1. The mandate of the Independent Expert on minority issues was established by the Commission on Human Rights in 2005 (resolution 2005/79), and subsequently extended by the General Assembly (resolution 60/251) and the Human Rights Council (resolution 7/6). On 24 March 2011, the Council decided to renew the mandate for an additional three years (resolution 16/6). Rita Izsák was appointed mandate holder and assumed her functions on 1 August 2011. The Independent Expert is required, inter alia, to promote implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, including through consultation with Governments. 2. In section II, the Independent Expert provides an overview of her activities since the submission of her previous report (A/HRC/19/56). In sections III and IV she focuses on the rights of linguistic minorities and provides an assessment of international standards and global issues affecting linguistic minorities. Section V contains conclusions and recommendations for various stakeholders. II. Activities of the Independent Expert A. Thematic reports 3. The mandate holder is required to report to the General Assembly annually, pursuant to Assembly resolution 66/166 (para. 21). The Independent Expert presented her first annual report to the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session, on 2 November 2012. The report (A/67/293) contained a thematic discussion on the role and activities of national institutional mechanisms protecting and promoting minority rights. The Independent Expert considered the value of institutional attention to minority issues in governmental organs, national human rights institutions and other relevant national bodies as a means of promoting minority rights and mainstreaming attention to minority issues across all relevant national bodies. States were urged to consider institutional attention as an essential component of their human rights, equality and non-discrimination obligations and a means to practically implement the 1992 Declaration on Minorities. B. Country visits 4. The Independent Expert conducted an official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina between 17 and 25 September 2012 (see A/HRC/22/49/Add.1). Of the 17 recognized national minorities, Roma are the most disadvantaged, experiencing discrimination and the poorest socioeconomic situation as regards education, employment, health care and housing. Minority rights protections must also apply to constituent peoples—Bosniaks, Bosnian Croats and Bosnian Serbs—who, following the 1992 to 1995 conflict, are in minority-like situations in the regions in which they live and who face social and economic disadvantages and discrimination. C. Communications 5. The Independent Expert continues to receive information from diverse sources about human rights violations perpetrated against national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. Based on this information, over the reporting period she has sent communications—letters of allegation and urgent action letters—to Member States relating 3