Mrs. President Omar Farouk Othman, a member of Act for Afrin Towards a lasting peace: positive initiatives to better protect the rights of minorities to prevent conflicts Contemporary violent armed conflicts undoubtedly have a significant impact on the rights of minorities in the affected countries, notably in my own nation, Syria, which has experienced armed conflict for more than 10 years. This conflict has led to flagrant violations of the rights of minorities in Syria, including the rights of the Kurdish people as the second nation in Syria. The Kurds have experienced killings, displacement, arrests, and demographic changes in their homes, particularly in Afrin region, to which I belong. Mrs. President, here, through this Forum, we propose an initiative to protect the rights of minorities in areas of armed conflict to achieve lasting peace in these areas, aimed at introducing a new international mechanism that would allow the Security Council to adopt the necessary international resolutions in order to secure international protection in areas of armed conflict or to impose international guardianship in areas where these minorities are present until the conflicts are finally resolved. Endeavours should be made to ensure that the rights of the remaining religious and ethnic minorities, including the Kurds, who represent Syria's second-largest nation, are guaranteed under the constitution through the United Nations-sponsored constitutional committee. All civil, international, and regional human rights organizations, especially those that represent these minorities, should be supported in an effort to achieve equality and justice for these minorities with the majority. This can be done by holding periodic conferences and qualifying cadres to spread the culture of tolerance, reject hatred, and respect all ethnic and religious components within a democratic framework to achieve justice. Thank you