A/72/165
28. Following her thematic study on the rights of linguistic minorities, the Special
Rapporteur produced a handbook, Language Rights of Linguistic Minorities: A
Practical Guide for Implementation, which is available in the six official languages
of the United Nations on the mandate holder’s website. The handbook is intended to
serve as a practical tool to assist policymakers and rights holders to develop a better
understanding of linguistic rights and to highlight good practices that could be
replicated in different contexts.
3.
2014: Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post-2015 development
agendas (A/HRC/25/56)
29. Building on her predecessor’s work and earlier report on this topic
(A/HRC/4/9) and in the context of the then impending 2015 deadline for achieving
the Millennium Development Goals and setting the stage for the post -2015
development agenda, the Special Rapporteur dedicated a thematic report to ensuring
the inclusion of minority issues in post-2015 development agendas.
30. In her report, the Special Rapporteur notes with concern her predecessor’s
finding that lack of attention to the situations of minorities constitutes one of the
most serious deficiencies of the Millennium Development Goal process and an
important impediment to achieving certain Goals in some States. She emphasizes
that minorities remain among the poorest and most socially and economically
excluded and marginalized communities globally, and that tens of millions of
persons belonging to minorities are trapped in a cycle of discrimination, exclusion,
poverty and underdevelopment from which they cannot break free without targeted
attention being given to their situations. Poverty within minority communities is
both a cause and a manifestation of their diminished rights, opportunities and social
advancement. The Special Rapporteur deeply regrets that despite the pledges for an
inclusive 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, there is no explicit reference
to minorities in the final document. She firmly believes that the successful
implementation of the 2030 Agenda can be achieved only by taking into
consideration the situation of minorities, and calls upon States to fulfil in practice
the principle of leaving no one behind, in particular in relation to all minorities.
31. In her report, the Special Rapporteur emphasizes that, within the framework of
a strong equality-focused goal or goals, it will be crucial to establish specific targets
for States on the inclusion of minorities and specific indicators upon which to
measure progress. The participation of minorities needs to be ensured and increased
in all phases. Targeted affirmative action policies for addressing the economic and
social exclusion of minorities, including specific social and economic development
plans for marginalized groups and the regions in which they live, are required.
4.
2015: Thematic study on hate speech and incitement to hatred against
minorities in the media (A/HRC/28/64)
32. The Special Rapporteur is alarmed by the high number of complaints reaching
her about hateful messages and incitement to hatred that have fuelled tensions and
often led to hate crimes. She believes that more should be done to monitor and
react, in a timely manner, to hate speech and incitement to hatred and violence to
prevent tensions and violence that damage the entire fabric, unity and stability of
societies.
33. In her report, the Special Rapporteur notes that hatred is often constructed,
fuelled, maintained and directed against individuals and communities who are
different in ethnicity, language or religion from the dominant majority, often for
political reasons or as a result of long-standing and entrenched discrimination.
Hateful messages may fall on particularly fertile ground where there are wider
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