A/HRC/49/46 Annex I Main activities undertaken by the Special Rapporteur from July to December 2021 1. On 13 July 2021, Fernand de Varennes, Special Rapporteur on minority issues, addressed a side-event on the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims Worldwide organised by the International Human Rights Committee and the “Coordination des associations et des particuliers pour la liberté de conscience”, along with colleagues on freedom of religion or belief and on freedom of expression. He pointed out how Ahmadis appear to be increasingly marginalised as minorities in a number of countries, subjected even to severe restrictions on the practice of their religion with other members of their community, and targeted by hate speech in social media. 2. On 14 July 2021, Fernand de Varennes, Special Rapporteur on minority issues, was interviewed in a podcast with the South Asia Research Institute for Minorities. Among the issues addressed was the treatment of Muslim minorities in South Asia, and in particular the risk of statelessness which is increasing for Muslim minorities in India, as well as the significant rises in violence and hate speech in social media which disproportionality affects minorities worldwide. 3. On 16 July 2021, Fernand de Varennes, Special Rapporteur on minority issues, interacted in a Q and A session at the closing of the Tom Lantos Institute’s ninth Global Minority Rights Summer School which focussed this year on ethnocultural diversity, conflict, and the human rights of minorities. Discussions dealt with the work of special rapporteurs, how they conduct their missions, and the communication procedures for allegations around the human rights of minorities. 4. On 27 July 2021, the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Dr Fernand de Varennes, gave the welcoming remarks for the global event on Career Development, Diversity & Inclusion, jointly organised by the OHCHR’s Indigenous Peoples and Minorities Section, the Human Resources Management Service, the Anti-Racial Discrimination Section, and the Global Network of Minority Fellows. He pointed out that institutionally, the UN needed to put into place measures for minorities and indigenous peoples, especially Afro-descendants, Roma and Dalits and other excluded communities, so that they have concrete opportunities to be part of the UN system, as well as to transform the UN into a more diverse organization to better reflect the global reality and equality of the rich tapestry of colours, cultures, languages and religions which make up the human race. 5. On 2 August 2021, the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Dr Fernand de Varennes, made an opening video statement on the European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma. He pointed out the day was an opportunity for greater acknowledgment of the Sinti and Roma genocide in order to address as a matter of urgency the increasing intolerance, demonizing and hate speech targeting of Roma and other minorities around the world. Dr de Varennes also emphasised that the commemoration organised by the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma and the Association of Roma in Poland in cooperation with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum was an important part in the necessary remembrance of the genocide targeting minorities which had occurred , and the need to be vigilant so it never happens again. On the same day, he also made opening remarks by video for the commemoration of the Roma Genocide organised by Romanipe Montréal, part of a three-day awareness campaign to highlight the importance of collective responsibility in commemorating the Roma and Sinti victims, learning about the history of the Romani Genocide, and taking actions to protect and promote the human rights and dignity of Roma. 6. On 11 August 2021, the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Dr Fernand de Varennes, spoke with former and current OHCHR Minority Fellows in preparation of the 2021 Regional Forum for Asia-Pacific on Conflict Prevention and the Protection of the Human Rights of Minorities to be held online 7 and 8 September 2021. On 13 August 2021, he also joined the former and current OHCHR Minorities Fellows for the upcoming 2021 18