Format of the Forum The Forum followed the procedure developed over its previous sessions. To help focus the discussions and ensure that they would be interactive, each agenda item was introduced by several invited panellists, followed by interventions from other participants. Outcome documents The present document is prepared in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 19/23, which requests the Chair to prepare "a summary of the discussion of the Forum, to be made available to all participants of the Forum". This summary is to be complemented by the outcome document containing the recommendations of the Forum presented by the Special Rapporteur on minority issues to the Human Rights Council at its 52nd session in March 20233. This summary does not provide the full details of all presentations that were made during the Forum’s proceedings. The list of speakers and the statements submitted to the Secretariat of the Forum on Minority Issues can be accessed at the Forum webpage4. The list of recommendations of the Forum will be published in a separate report5. Item I. Opening of the Forum Following the opening marked with a live performance by a group of minority artists from the Spotlight Team International Artists, the Forum started by reviewing the scope of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, the groups that it covered, and those that it left behind, and ways in which the scope of the normative framework could be made more relevant and effective. The Declaration, adopted in 1992, remains the only global instrument for the protection of minority rights. It reinforces and builds onthe rights enshrined in the United Nations human rights framework and is centred on protecting and promoting the existence, equality, identity and effective participation of national or ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities in all areas covered by the Declaration. Participants considered the degree to which the Declaration has enabled progress to be achieved in protecting minority rights globally and were encouraged to take a fresh look at mainstreaming the Declaration and the human rights of minorities within the United Nations system while considering the findings of the Special Rapporteur set out in his report to the General Assembly and sharing their views on the evolution and positioning of the Declaration in the institutions, structuresand initiatives of the United Nations. 33 A/HRC/52/71. Fifteenth session of the Forum on Minority Issues | OHCHR 5 A/HRC/52/71. This report be presented at the 52 nd session of the Human Rights Council in March 2023. 4