A/51/536 English Page 4 I. INTRODUCTION 1. The General Assembly, at its fiftieth session, adopted resolution 50/180 of 22 December 1995 on effective promotion of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, by which the Assembly urged States and the international community to promote and protect the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, as set out in the Declaration; called upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to promote, within his mandate, the implementation of the Declaration and to continue to engage in dialogue with Governments concerned for that purpose; and urged all treaty bodies and special representatives, special rapporteurs and working groups of the Commission on Human Rights and the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities to give due regard, within their respective mandates, to the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to minorities. 2. The Assembly also requested the Secretary-General to report to it at its fifty-first session on the implementation of the resolution under the item entitled "Human rights questions". 3. Pursuant to that resolution, the Secretary-General, by communications dated 22 and 31 May 1996, invited States, and interested intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, to submit their contributions to the Centre for Human Rights by 1 August 1996. 4. As of 30 August 1996, replies had been received from the Governments of Angola, Austria, 1/ Estonia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Kuwait, Lithuania, Mauritius, San Marino, Switzerland and Ukraine. 5. The League of Arab States also sent a reply. 6. Information was also provided by the relevant special rapporteurs, special representatives, the working groups of the Commission on Human Rights and the Subcommission, giving due regard to the Declaration, and to the promotion and protection of persons belonging to minorities within their mandates. 7. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights submitted information on his activities in the field. 8. Replies were also received from the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), the United Nations University (UNU), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 9. The Council of Europe sent a document on the work it is currently undertaking in the field of minority protection. 10. Replies were also received from two non-governmental organizations: Liberal International and the Minority Rights Group. /...