A/HRC/40/30 defend their freedom of religion or belief, as well as their right to participate equally and effectively in cultural, religious, social, economic and public life, as recognized by international human rights law and as a minimum standard of solidarity among all believers.21 46. In the same context, OHCHR organized the first regional workshop in Tunis in May 2018, focusing on the role of young people of different faiths in the promotion of human rights in the Middle East and North Africa. Several ongoing initiatives were presented through interactive panel discussions, including initiatives on promoting minority rights through advocacy with United Nations human rights mechanisms and on youth entrepreneurship to prevent violent extremism. 47. In November 2018, OHCHR organized a conference in Morocco, with the participation of young people from the Middle East and North Africa and international experts, including the Special Rapporteur on minority issues. The conference focused on engaging members of civil society, in particular young people, to share their experience of promoting the rights of minorities, combating incitement to hatred and identifying future steps to protect religious minorities. It also aimed to encourage young people to engage in promoting respect and understanding, combating incitement to hatred and promoting the rights of religious minorities. 48. The UNAMA Human Rights Unit continued to document attacks targeting the minority Shia population in Afghanistan, and continued to advocate for the better protection of this religious minority group. In its special report covering the period 1 January to 30 September 2018, 22 UNAMA noted that anti-government elements continued to direct attacks against the Shia Muslim population, most of whom were ethnic Hazara. 23 During the reporting period, other religious minorities, such as Hindus and Sikhs, also suffered from violence, causing members of those two religious minorities to fear for their safety. 49. In July 2018, the Human Rights Unit of the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), together with the Haitian national council of voodoo, launched a three-month project focused on the evaluation of and awareness-raising on discrimination against those who practise voodoo. The first phase of the project aims to identify the types of acts of violence and discrimination perpetrated against those who practise voodoo, and to encourage victims to file judicial complaints. The second phase will consist of public awareness campaigns to promote religious freedom and religious tolerance. 50. A number of United Nations human rights mechanisms raised issues related to religious minorities during the reporting period. In its resolution 37/9 on freedom of religion or belief, the Human Rights Council expressed concern at continuing acts of intolerance and violence based on religion or belief against individuals, including persons belonging to religious communities and religious minorities around the world. 51. In her annual report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/38/52), the Special Rapporteur on racism drew attention to how, in many parts of the world, individuals or groups were discriminated against because they were “Muslim-looking”, irrespective of whether those individuals or groups even held Islamic religious beliefs. While religion was not mentioned as a ground for prohibited racial discrimination in the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination had found that article 1 might apply to cases involving religious discrimination where the targeted individual or individuals belonged to identifiable ethnic minority groups. 21 22 23 See www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomReligion/Pages/FaithForRights.aspx. UNAMA, “Special report: increasing harm to Afghan civilians from the deliberate and indiscriminate use of improvised explosive devices” (Kabul, Afghanistan, 2018). Between 1 January and 30 September 2018, there were 705 civilian casualties, 211 deaths and 494 injuries caused by suicide and non-suicide attacks using improvised explosive devices. With the exception of one suicide attack, they were all claimed by Islamic State in Iraq and the LevantKhorasan Province. 11