A/72/219 Minority Issues, calling for increased efforts to end discrimination against minority groups and to ensure the protection of stateless minorities. 55 G. Law enforcement 38. Various findings of treaty bodies and special rapporteurs indicate that the rights of persons belonging to minorities require enhanced attention in connection with law enforcement. The Human Rights Committee, for example, has expressed concern about the excessive use of force by law enforcement officials and recommended that State parties adopt all necessary measures to effectively reduce and eliminate the use of ethnic profiling by the police. 39. In a statement marking International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March 2017, several United Nations experts on racial discrimination called for a number of immediate measures, including anti -racism training for the police and judiciary and steps to eliminate institutional racism. 56 The importance of human rights training for law-enforcement bodies has also been addressed by the Forum on Minority Issues, notably at its eighth session, in November 2015, on the theme of minorities in the criminal justice system. The Forum highlighted the need for States to provide compulsory training on the protection of human rights and minority rights to officials operating in the administration of justice, including law enforcement and the judiciary. 57 40. The Forum also identified several specific areas of concern with regard to criminal justice systems, including lack of access to due process by minorities whether they were standing as victims, accused or offenders; law -enforcement hiring practices that excluded minorities; and mistreatment of minorities in detention facilities. The Forum called on States to address de jure and de facto discrimination that may arise from laws, policies and/or practices that are ostensibly neutral but have a discriminatory effect. 41. Country-specific recommendations concerning law enforcement have been made by, inter alia, the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent. Following its mission to the United States of America in January 2016, the Group recommended action to ensure accountability for police violence against African Americans and improved reporting of violations involving excessive use of force. 58 H. Linguistic rights 42. The commentary to the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities stresses that language is among the most important carriers of group identity and that States are to encourage the promotion of the linguistic identity of minorities in accordance with the Declaration. Bearing in mind the various shortcomings in the implementation of linguistic rights, the Special Rapporteur on minority issues has addressed related issues as a priority. In March 2017, she issued a handbook, Language Rights of Linguistic Minorities: A Practical Guide for Implementation, to assist policymakers __________________ 55 56 57 58 17-12826 Submission by UNHCR. Joint statement of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent and the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March 2017. See A/HRC/31/72. See A/HRC/33/61/Add.2, including para. 99. 11/12