inclusion of the Roma in decision-making, supported by legal measures against antigypsyism. These illustrations demonstrate diverse approaches to fostering participation, protecting identities, and enhancing societal cohesion. The dialogue also highlighted that recognition alone is insufficient without concrete structural measures. Participants called for the enforcement of minority rights, protection from violence and persecution, access to public services and leadership positions, and the promotion of cultural and linguistic heritage. Calls were made for international cooperation to hold States accountable for violations and create mechanisms to address historical injustices and systemic exclusion. Overall, the dialogue reinforced that recognizing and empowering minorities is vital for sustainable development, social cohesion, and peaceful coexistence. Participants stressed that meaningful inclusion and acknowledgment of minorities’ contributions strengthen democracy, enrich cultural life, and build more resilient and equitable societies. ITEM 3: AMPLIFYING MINORITY VOICES IN PEACEBUILDING, ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE PROCESSES The participation of minorities in peacebuilding, accountability, and transitional justice is critical to achieving sustainable, inclusive, and legitimate processes. Minorities are often the most affected by conflict, violence, and systemic exclusion, yet their perspectives, experiences, and knowledge are frequently ignored in formal peace negotiations and transitional justice mechanisms. Amplifying their voices ensures that peace is not abstract but grounded in lived realities, that justice addresses structural inequalities, and that societies benefit from the unique capacities and contributions of minority communities. Presentations on the topic under discussion were made by the following panellists: Ms. Fatuma Abdillahi Ali, Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, Certified Professional Mediator and Former OHCHR Senior Minority Fellow; Dr. Farah Mihlar, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights at Oxford Brookes University; and Dr. Tenzin Dorjee, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Political Science at Columbia University. Ms. Fatuma Ali highlighted the persistent gap between formal commitments to peace and the lived realities of minority communities. Drawing on the example of northeastern Kenya, particularly the Wajir region, she illustrated how minority women, led by Deka Ibrahim Abdi from the Somali ethnic minority, mobilized grassroots initiatives to prevent and resolve conflict. Despite lacking formal authority or resources, these women built an early warning and response system using community trust, local knowledge, and courage, which eventually influenced regional and national peace processes, including the mediation led by former UN SecretaryGeneral Kofi Annan after Kenya’s 2007–2008 election violence. The initiative culminated in the Al-Fatah Declaration, blending customary law with state law, restoring dignity, and introducing innovative accountability mechanisms, including community oversight of security forces and non-violent sanctions. Ms. Ali emphasized that 9