obligations. Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), for example, affirms the protection and promotion of the rights of minorities. activity contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations, including sovereign equality, territorial integrity and political independence of States. UN treaty bodies Committees of independent experts appointed to monitor a state’s implementation of the core international human rights treaties. Article 9 The specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system shall contribute to the full realization of the rights and principles set forth in the present Declaration, within their respective fields of competence. 2. The exercise of the rights set forth in the present Declaration shall not prejudice the enjoyment by all persons of universally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms. Provisions in the Declaration are meant to enable minorities to fully realize all their human rights. Rights intended to be enjoyed in community cannot infringe on the rights of individuals belonging to that community, as in the case of those facing multiple forms of discrimination on the basis of sex, age, disability, descent, sexual orientation or gender identity, etc. 3. Measures taken by States to ensure the effective enjoyment of the rights set forth in the present Declaration shall not prima facie be considered contrary to the principle of equality contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Minority rights are meant to realize the equal rights of all, and not privilege one group over another. Equality must be the leading principle when designing laws and policies to ensure these rights. 4. Nothing in the present Declaration may be construed as permitting any The UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues, and the Forum on Minority Issues, were set up to promote collaboration on minority issues, implement the Declaration and submit recommendations to the Human Rights Council on how to realize the rights of minorities and responsibilities of states. UN Forum on Minority Issues A UN gathering for promoting dialogue and cooperation on minority issues. The Forum identifies best practices, and challenges, opportunities and incentives for the protection and promotion of minority rights. In March 2012, the UN Network on Racial Discrimination and the Protection of Minorities was created, to be coordinated through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). It is currently drafting a guidance note for UN bodies on how to further implement the Declaration. Independent Expert on Minority Issues A UN official who works to promote the implementation of the Declaration, taking into account international standards and national legislation concerning minorities. She or he makes country visits, submits annual reports to the Human Rights Council and makes recommendations on how to better protect the rights of minorities. Left: A Yezidi man at the Temple of Lalish, Iraqi Kurdistan, Iraq. Shiho Fukada/Panos. Above: Garo boys standing in a banana plantation, Pirchacha, Bangladesh. G.M.B.Akash, Panos. 11