responses to situations of strong human rights concern. The first light teams were sent to Burkina Faso, Lesotho and the Republic of the Congo. However, I believe we in the UN can and must do better. Protecting minorities amid escalating crises is a task that needs much deeper and broader engagement. Humanitarian emergencies require coordinated and effective responses from governments, UN entities, regional organizations and NGOs. This Forum provides a key opportunity to clarify the roles and responsibilities of these various humanitarian actors to advance minority rights. I hope we can also promote the involvement of national human rights actors, especially NHRIs, with humanitarian coordination structures. And I must emphasise the need to involve civil society at every level of decision-making, including the voices of minority communities. We need to continue our strong advocacy for accountability, and for the rights of victims to protection and effective remedy. On that point, I want to pay tribute to the invaluable work of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Ms. Rita Izsak-Ndiaye as the end of her term approaches. To prevent and resolve conflicts, reduce risk, build resilience and sustain peace, the only sustainable solutions stem from the protection of human rights — among them, the rights of all members of all minority groups to participate in public life, retain their cultural identity and live alongside others in equality and dignity.Today, many societies today appear to be splintering into defensive — and even mutually hostile — communities. Multiple armed conflicts have taken on sectarian dimensions. The Yezidi in Iraq have suffered a genocidal campaign of attacks by Daesh, and many other minority communities are under attack. Unprincipled political leaders are seeking to stoke the forces of prejudice, scapegoating vulnerable foreigners and minorities for a whole range of social ills.