I am pleased to see that once again several representants of minorities from all regions of the world are present among us today. I am glad to be able to listen to them with you and to benefit from their specific experiences which will guide our efforts in our global struggle for equality and non-discrimination. The Forum was able to become a unique opportunity for all speakers, including member states, representatives from the civil society, the United Nations, its specialised institutions and other international and regional organisations, as well as representatives of minorities of course, to share their experiences and good practices relating to the rights of persons belonging to minorities. Yet we have to recognise that today there is still a deficit in the attention given to the situation of minorities in the regional systems. Considering my personal experience as a member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and in particular as a President of the Working Group on indigenous populations/communities in Africa, I am well aware of this necessity for the various regions to pay more attention to these issues. Hence I would like to encourage the relevant regional intergovernmental bodies on the protection and promotion of human rights to increase their efforts in order to make sure that minority issues get more attention in their work and actions within their respective regions. This can consist, for instance, of awareness-raising, information activities, and the dissemination of the Declaration, through the promotion of this instrument in their work and through fostering its implementation at national level while making sure that this issue is included in their activities and programmes. Let me please highlight the fact that this dialogue between all stakeholders is essential considering the fact that there is simply no preestablished answer or solution in this field. The protection of the rights of minorities and the promotion of diversity can only be ensured through collective and continuous effort. Moreover, it is necessary to recall that any step undertaken with the aim to implement the Declaration, no matter their efficiency, should be regularly and consistently reviewed, so as to still be relevant to the context of a given society. It is important today to remember that in every country minority communities live and have a right to equality. The Declaration recognises the obligation of all States to promote and protect the rights of minorities living in their territory. Anyone must renew their committment to guarantee the protection of these rights as enshrined in the Declaration and other relevant international and regional human rights instruments. The drafters of the Declaration acknowledged the linkage between social and political stability and the promotion and protection of the rights of minorities in the States they live in. Moreover, its Preamble underlines the fact that the realisation of the rights of persons belonging to minorities, being an integral part of the evolution of society as a whole and within a democratic framework based on the rule of law, contributes to strengthening the friendship and cooperation between people and States. As was shown in the previous sessions of this Forum, all regions have examples of good practices regarding the promotion and protection of the rights of minorities. These examples, and many others, will be discussed during the current session. We should use them as models to replicate and adapt to different situations. Challenges that subsist show that we should double our efforts to promote diversity, which is inherent to our societies, and to protect the rights of persons belonging to minorities. Together we shall reiterate the fact that intolerance, racism and discrimination are not only socially and morally unacceptable, but they are also major hurdles to sustainable development, peace and stability.