A/HRC/52/53 minority rights, at the national and regional levels. The senior fellows also serve as a bridge between the OHCHR headquarters office in Geneva and its country and regional presences, thereby reinforcing complementarity, sustainability and continuity in minority rights work. As human rights advocates, senior fellows provide OHCHR field presences and United Nations country teams with thematic expertise on minority rights and on other human rights issues, thereby making a genuine contribution to the advancement of human rights. 64. The senior fellow in the Republic of Moldova supported the field presence from September 2020 until September 2022. The senior fellow helped strengthen the mainstreaming of minority rights in United Nations-led processes and the Government’s policymaking by providing minority rights training to civil servants and service providers at the national and local levels. In the OHCHR country office in Yemen, the senior fellow, who was from the Muhamasheen community, working with Baha’i leaders, took the initiative to form the National Council for Minorities in Yemen (see para. 22 above). J. Religious or belief minorities and faith actors 65. In 2022, OHCHR conducted peer-to-peer learning events with religious or belief minorities and faith-based actors, using the interactive methodology and case studies contained in the #Faith4Rights toolkit.74 Two expert workshops held in October 2022 were focused on implementing the Rabat Plan of Action and the Beirut Declaration and its 18 Commitments on Faith for Rights. Furthermore, OHCHR developed an informal network of “faith for rights” facilitators and a peer-to-peer learning programme for professional faith leaders. 66. Together with the Freedom of Religion or Belief Leadership Network, the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Religions for Peace, the African Parliamentarians Association for Human Rights and the Danish Institute for Human Rights, OHCHR organized a dialogue series entitled “Leave no one behind”. The monthly peer-to-peer learning events explored the interrelated topics of freedom of religion or belief and the Sustainable Development Goals, gender, education, civic space and freedom of expression, health, and climate change. In a public statement, 100 signatories from more than 50 countries committed to seek and listen to peoples’ experiences of inequality based on religion or belief and to better understand their needs, which must be integrated into Sustainable Development Goals-related planning, policy and action at a country level.75 67. During the 8th Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-based Organizations in International Affairs, on “Mobilizing moral influence and governance to end the systemic injustices of racism, the legacy of colonialism, and slavery”, OHCHR stressed the importance of fully implementing the Declaration, notably the right of all persons belonging to minorities to participate effectively.76 68. In April and May 2022, the OHCHR Regional Office for East Africa monitored interreligious violence in Ethiopia between Orthodox Christians and Muslims, in which 34 people were killed and more than 100 injured. In May 2022, the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed distress about the April clashes, reportedly triggered by a land dispute, and noted that, in addition to the deaths and injuries, two mosques had been burned and another two partially destroyed. In attacks that appeared to be retaliatory, two Orthodox Christian men were reportedly burned to death, another man hacked to death, and five churches burned down.77 Following those clashes, the Regional Office developed and promoted positive messages on human rights, peaceful coexistence, tolerance and inclusivity, to prevent further deterioration of the human rights situation. In Gondar, the 74 75 76 77 14 75 See https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Press/faith4rights-toolkit.pdf. See https://www.ippforb.com/newsroom/2022/29/06global-commitment-to-ensure-no-one-isleft-behind-on-the-basis-of-their-religion-or-belief. See https://www.ippforb.com/newsroom/2022/29/06global-commitment-to-ensure-no-one-is-leftbehind-on-the-basis-of-their-religion-or-belief. As set out in article 2 of the Declaration. See also commitment VI of the 18 Commitments on Faith for Rights. See https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2022/05/inter-religious-clashes-ethiopia. GE.22-29200