A/HRC/FMI/2021/1 Evidence and history show that the protection and promotion of the human rights of minorities and their aspirations result in a greater sense of national unity and identity, and ultimately reduced tensions and long-term stability. In other words, societies in which legal and institutional frameworks allow minorities to use their language freely, to practice their culture and religion and to participate in political and economic life on an equal footing with the rest of the population are less likely to be societies in which tensions deteriorate into violent conflict. At the present session, the Forum will identify and discuss key factors that can help international and regional human rights law to be used as a powerful tool to prevent violent conflicts. Participants will examine how referring to and utilizing the body of standards and jurisprudence concerning the protection of minorities under international law can prevent escalation into conflict. The Forum will develop a common understanding of the role of the protection of the human rights of minorities in preventing conflicts, and discuss legal, institutional and policy challenges to address long-standing grievances that may lead to tensions and possible conflicts, as outlined in Pathways for Peace: Inclusive Approaches to Preventing Violent Conflict. The Forum will also consider the role of policies and programmes that are inclusive, or on the contrary exclusive, of the human rights and identities of minorities. It will explore how the specific needs and aspirations of minorities, and their human rights, can be better taken into account by national, regional and international institutions when developing policies aimed at ensuring peaceful coexistence. In order to further clarify the role of legal and institutional frameworks, participants will consider the Rabat Plan of Action on the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence,1 according to which many conflicts worldwide in recent decades have also, to varying degrees, contained a component of incitement to national, racial or religious hatred. 4. Focusing on the rights of minorities and effective prevention of conflicts Conflict preventive measures are most likely to be effective if they are undertaken at an early point and are carefully targeted. This requires early warning and a differentiated assessment of the circumstances of each case, as highlighted by the Secretary-General in his report on early warning, assessment and the responsibility to protect (A/64/864). Since most contemporary violent conflicts involve grievances over exclusionary or discriminatory practices that affect minorities, incorporating minority rights indicators into early warning systems would allow earlier identification of potential conflicts. Focusing on the human rights of minorities and how they are denied or misapplied offers pathways towards more effective early steps in identifying the root causes of tensions leading to conflicts, and an early warning of patterns of discrimination and other human rights breaches, which have to be addressed to prevent conflicts. Forum participants will reflect on how dedicated and specialized mechanisms with appropriate mandates can concentrate on the minority dimension of conflicts by identifying situations where there is systematic denial of the rights of minorities. They will examine the existence of early conflict prevention mechanisms at various levels, including at the international, regional, subregional, national and local levels. Discussions will also touch upon the need to focus on minorities and pool the outputs of the early warning systems of United Nations agencies, funds, programmes and agencies, and of other intergovernmental organizations. Participants will consider what makes such mechanisms a compelling tool for effectively preventing costly and protracted conflicts involving minorities. Participants will pay special attention to the importance of including a gender perspective in early effective conflict prevention, and will rely on the recommendations made by the Forum at its fourth session with regard to guaranteeing the rights of minority women and girls (see A/HRC/19/71), who may be particularly vulnerable in conflict and post-conflict situations. 1 See A/HRC/22/17/Add.4, appendix. 3