A/HRC/25/56 6. The Independent Expert presented her annual report to the General Assembly (A/68/268) at the sixty-eighth session of the General Assembly on 23 October 2013. The report had a thematic focus on minority rights-based approaches to the protection and promotion of the rights of religious minorities. Therein, the Independent Expert highlighted the fact that the rights of religious minorities are poorly implemented in practice and in all regions they face discrimination, social exclusion, marginalization and often harassment, persecution and violence. The rights of religious minorities go beyond freedom of religion and belief. The wider group rights of religious minorities are frequently neglected by Governments. Minority rights require positive actions on the part of States based on the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. Legislation, policies and specific measures are required to create substantive equality in all areas of cultural, economic, political, public, religious and social life. 7. The Independent Expert acknowledges the important work of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and welcomes his 2013 report to the Council on religious minorities (A/HRC/22/51). On 28 October, she (together with the Special Rapporteur) was a panellist in a side event at the General Assembly organized by the Government of Canada, titled “International Efforts to Promote and Protect Freedom of Religion or Belief: Where Can The United Nations Play an Effective Role?” 2. Linguistic minorities 8. The Independent Expert’s previous report to the Council (A/HRC/22/49) in 2013 discussed the rights of, and challenges experienced by, linguistic minorities. She highlighted the warning that half of the world’s estimated 6,000 plus languages are under threat, and urged Governments to take necessary steps to protect minority communities and their language heritage (para. 39). She has continued to collect information on good practices from all regions relating to such issues as: threats to the existence of minority languages and linguistic minorities; recognition of minority languages and linguistic rights; minority languages in public life; minority languages in education, the media, public administration and judicial fields; and provision of information and services in minority languages. 9. On 13 March 2013, the Independent Expert convened a roundtable discussion on linguistic minorities with Member States, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), representatives of academia and linguistic minority communities, to identify initiatives that have proved successful in ensuring the rights of linguistic minorities. Over 60 participants shared their experiences and views, including regarding future possibilities for the work of United Nations mechanisms in the field of linguistic minority issues globally. In 2013, the Independent Expert began work to prepare a practical guide and a compilation of effective practices to assist policymakers and others. She plans to publish it online by mid-2014, following further consultation. 3. Minority women and girls 10. The Independent Expert participated in conferences on the issues of minority women and girls. She used her participation to raise awareness about mechanisms in the United Nations human rights system for the protection of women and how they can be used effectively, and to introduce the recommendations of the fourth session of the Forum on Minority Issues that focused on the rights of minority women and girls. She served as the General Rapporteur of the Fourth International Conference of Roma Women in Helsinki on 16 and 17 September 2013. The event discussed ways of improving the situation for individual women, their families and communities and the aims included developing 4