The Co-Chair of the Forum Anastasia Crickley once again highlighted the role of the regional
forums in the built up of the annual forum in Geneva. She welcomed the participation of the
deaf community in the Twelfth session of the Forum. She noted that as drawn from the
discussions during the UN Forum, policy and practice with regard to teaching minority
languages need to be framed in human rights terms with adequate resources and
implementation, taking into consideration special measures and recognizing that these are
needed to make a difference. Anastasia. Crickley also highlighted the message from the
participants that ‘’one size does not fit all’’. She noted that there are differences, and if we're
going to speak about education , we need to talk with young people and women from minority
communities and the sign language groups, who have a right to participate in framing and
shaping the policies that affect their education. She also attached great importance to
pedagogical processes in achieving the aforementioned results. In conclusion, Anastasia
Crickley particularly welcomed the role and participation of civil society and women in the
Forum.
The Co-Chair of the Forum Astrid Thors in her concluding speech referred to the regional
forums and the recommendations emanating from these forums, and highlighted the
importance of allocating sufficient resources for the educational needs of minority children and
providing teacher trainings. Astrid Thors emphasized the importance of education for stability
and peace of a country or a region, and stressed that the narratives developed in schools
should support the understanding of the other. She reminded that education should be viewed
as a human right, being the precondition for development, even more so, in a connected and
digitalized world. By referring to the opening statement of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights, Astrid Thors emphasized the work of human rights defenders, who continue to struggle
for the respect of minority and indigenous languages, as well as the importance attached to UN
spaces for dialogue and exchange, such as the Forum on Minority Issues, where stakeholders
should be able to participate and contribute to in a free and open manner, without fear of
intimidation and reprisals.
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