Intervention by Knox Thames, Special Advisor for Religious Minorities in the Near East and South/Central Asia U.S. Department of State Ninth session of the Forum on Minority Issues: Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 24-25 November 2016 Room XX, Palais des Nations Geneva, Switzerland Item 2: Legal framework and key concepts On behalf of the U.S. government, I want to thank the Special Rapporteur for convening this important meeting. The United States supports the position of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues and wants to thank the current mandate holder for her tireless efforts. We wish you well and look forward to partnering with your successor. The United States is committed to protecting the human rights of all people, including members of minority groups and people in vulnerable situations. This is a foundational tenet of the United States, reflected in our laws and constitutional protections domestically, as well as in our international human rights obligations. My position, for example, was created by the U.S. Department of State, in close consultation with the White House, to help sharpen U.S. government efforts to assist religious minorities in the Middle East and South and Central Asia. I am tasked with finding ways the United States can protect diversity of thought and belief in these key regions where we have seen violent extremists and authoritarian governments attack minorities. Our story is not perfect – no country’s is – and we face current challenges – as all nations do. And it is because of our lessons learned, that the U.S. government is concerned about the ability of all people to practice a religion or belief—including non-belief—alone or in community with others, and free from violence or discrimination of any kind. It is a daunting task, but one we want to address with our friends and allies, which is why I am here.