A/HRC/34/21 B. Forum on Minority Issues 46. The Forum on Minority Issues, established by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 6/15, and renewed in resolution 19/23, provides an annual platform for dialogue and cooperation on issues pertaining to persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. 47. The Forum’s ninth session, on the topic of minorities in situations of humanitarian crisis, was held on 24 and 25 November 2016. Forum participants reflected on the specific needs of minorities and the disproportionate impact they dealt with during humanitarian crises such as conflict, disaster and pandemics. Participants also examined the challenges faced by minorities seeking to return to a situation of normality after a crisis had ended. The participants finalized a set of draft recommendations on minorities in situations of humanitarian crisis to be adopted by the Human Rights Council in March 2017. 48. The Forum on Minority Issues is an essential component in the efforts deployed by the United Nations to promote implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. The final recommendations made during each session are shaped from the diverse experiences of minorities, Governments and others. They are based on international human rights norms and offer action-oriented solutions of practical value to all stakeholders and that can be applied to a variety of national or minority-specific contexts. C. Universal periodic review 49. The Human Rights Council adopted the reports of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on numerous States at its thirty-first, thirty-second and thirtythird sessions. 50. In the above-mentioned reports, several States made recommendations relating to the following: (a) adopting measures to combat racism, discrimination, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance against minorities; (b) adopting specific strategies to ensure the rights of minorities to quality education, health, water, sanitation, land and other social and public services; (c) adopting legislative and public policy measures to ensure the protection and promotion of the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of minorities; (d) assisting and protecting minorities displaced due to natural disasters or conflict; and (e) taking necessary measures to tackle hate speech, violence and incitement to hatred against minorities and ensuring that these acts are appropriately investigated and sanctioned. 51. Other recommendations were made on: (a) promoting diverse cultural identities, tolerance, intercultural understanding and the practice of multiculturalism; (b) ensuring that minorities are not denied their right to full and equal citizenship; (c) conducting awarenessraising campaigns and activities on the rights of minorities; (d) implementing measures to register the birth of children belonging to minority groups; (e) ensuring the preservation and use of minority languages, including in education, textbooks, mass media and the press, and the right to use minority languages in court proceedings in order to secure due process; (f) implementing strategies to allow for the meaningful participation of representatives from minority communities in political decision-making processes at the local, regional and national levels; and (g) ensuring religious and cultural freedom in relation to ethnic and religious minorities. 11