A/HRC/19/27 specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system are to contribute to the full realization of the rights and principles set forth in the Declaration on Minorities. The Inter-Agency Group is a mechanism for cooperation and coordination on minority issues among United Nations organizations, specialized agencies, funds and programmes, which contribute to the full realization, protection and promotion of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. The meeting, which brought together representatives from OHCHR, UNDP, UNICEF, the International Labour Organization, IOM and Minority Rights Group International, and benefited from the presence of the recently appointed independent expert on minority issues, Rita Izsák. She provided an overview on her background and shared information on her vision of her mandate for the next three years. The meeting offered an opportunity to share activities undertaken by all agencies throughout 2011 and to share OHCHR planned activities for the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on Minorities in 2012, as well as to explore avenues for enhanced collaboration to advance the rights of persons belonging to minorities. E. Forum on Minority Issues 18. The fourth session of the Forum on Minority Issues, held on 29 and 30 November 2011, focused on the theme “Guaranteeing the rights of minority women”. OHCHR also organized a preparatory briefing for minority representatives prior to the session. At the session, the Forum examined concrete measures and recommendations aimed at guaranteeing the rights of minority women. Building on the work carried out during the first three sessions of the Forum and the recommendations emanating from that work, the fourth session was focused on rights and opportunities for minority women to have access to education, to take part effectively in economic life, to have access to labour markets and to participate fully in social, cultural and political life. The Forum also provided participants with opportunities to highlight positive initiatives and good practices for the protection and promotion of the rights of minority women. The results of the fourth session of the Forum will be reported to the Human Rights Council in more detail by the independent expert on minority issues, in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 6/15. 19. On 29 November 2011, OHCHR organized a side event to the session of the Forum entitled “Empowering minority women to claim their rights: identifying effective practices”. The side event provided an opportunity for participants to share effective practices relating to the various tools and approaches for the empowerment of minority women to claim their rights. It also advanced a better understanding of strategies and practices that minority women can use not only to secure their effective participation at the community level but also to ensure that the communities to which they belong benefit from their contributions. F. Regional and country engagement activities 20. Activities carried out at the regional and country levels in relation to advancing the protection of the rights of persons belonging to minorities included monitoring, support for legal reform, technical cooperation, capacity-building andawareness-raising activities. 21. OHCHR continued its engagement in promoting and protecting the rights of national and ethnic minorities in Central Asia, notably through its Regional Office for Central Asia based in Bishkek. In this context, OHCHR organized a regional conference entitled, “Advancing the rights of minorities in Central Asia: effective participation in public life”. The conference, the first such regional event on national and ethnic minority rights in 6