A/HRC/25/30 I. Introduction 1. The Human Rights Council, in its resolutions 13/12 of 2010 and 22/4 of 2013 concerning the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to present an annual report to the Council containing information on relevant developments in the work of United Nations human rights bodies and mechanisms, as well as on the activities undertaken by OHCHR at its headquarters and in the field, that contribute to the promotion of and respect for the provisions of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. 2. Adopted by consensus in 1992, the Declaration provides global standards for the protection of minorities and encourages conditions for the promotion of their identity. While the Declaration is not binding, States do recognize their duty to protect minorities in order to enable members of minorities to enjoy their individual human rights. To this end, it is required under the Declaration that States take positive measures — in legislation, policies and practice — to achieve substantive equality for minorities in all fields, including the cultural, social, economic, civil and political fields. In this regard, international, regional and national initiatives aimed at combating discrimination and exclusion can play an important role in protecting minority rights and strengthening the rule of law and democracy through participation by all. 3. In the course of the year, and through its activities, OHCHR emphasized once again that minorities, owing to their status and distinct their identity, are often excluded from participation in society, in various fields and at various levels, and are therefore in need of special protection. While maintenance of their distinct identity as minorities is essential to true equality, the inclusion of minorities in the societies in which they live may require positive steps on the part of States. OHCHR also contributed, inter alia, to enhancing awareness on minority rights and to sharing good practices in order to remove barriers to effective participation and prevent tensions. II. Work of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at its headquarters and in the field 4. Throughout the year, the High Commissioner stressed in her public statements the importance of advancing non-discrimination and the protection of minorities. For example, in her opening statement to the Council on 29 May 2013, she asserted, in respect of the Syrian Arab Republic, that recent virulent instances of incitement to violence on the grounds of religion or ethnicity, and the increasing involvement of a variety of extremist foreign fighters, stood as ominous signs of more violence to come. She also referred to the Syrian Arab Republic’s reputation for tolerance, with Sunnis, Shia, Alawites, Christians, Kurds, Druze and many other communities living side by side in relative harmony, and stressed that the international community must drive home an uncompromising message that all Syrians are entitled to live in their own country, in safety and without fear, regardless of their religion, ethnicity or political affiliation. 5. On 19 June 2013, the High Commissioner urged the Government of Myanmar to devote urgent attention to tackling the continuing discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities in the country, warning that failure to act could undermine the reform process. She also warned that the ongoing human rights violations against the Rohingya community in Rakhine State, and the spread of anti-Muslim sentiment across the State and beyond, was threatening the reform process and required focused attention from the 3