A/HRC/34/53 regional levels, to ensure that States strengthen their legal, policy and institutional frameworks and that regional anti-discrimination and minority rights standards and mechanisms are put in place for the protection and promotion of minority rights, respectively. Equally, the Organization should consider strengthening existing mechanisms and platforms for minorities within the United Nations system, including the Forum on Minority Issues, by providing additional resources. Furthermore, the establishment of a committee to monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948 is long overdue and would assist Member States in complying with their obligations under the Convention. D. Commemoration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities 83. The twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities will take place in 2017. This anniversary provides a unique and timely opportunity to reflect on the past achievements and to look forward to identify ways to further strengthen international standards on minority rights protection. In its preamble, the Declaration states that “the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities contribute to the political and social stability of States in which they live” and emphasizes that the constant promotion and realization of such rights “as an integral part of the development of society as a whole and within a democratic framework based on the rule of law, would contribute to the strengthening of friendship and cooperation among peoples and States”. 84. The Special Rapporteur encourages United Nations offices and agencies, Member States and civil society and minority representatives to organize specific initiatives to mark this important anniversary to further promote awareness of the Declaration and consider specific issues most relevant to minorities. E. Forum on Minority Issues 85. The Forum on Minority Issues, which replaced the Working Group on Minorities, was established in 2007 by the Human Rights Council in resolution 6/15 and reaffirmed in 2012 by resolution 19/23. It is mandated to provide a platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation on issues pertaining to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, as well as to provide thematic contributions and expertise to the work of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues. The Special Rapporteur is tasked with guiding the work of the Forum, preparing its annual meetings and reporting on the thematic recommendations of the Forum to the Council. The Forum meets annually in Geneva for two working days, allocated to thematic discussions. An average of more than 500 participants attend the Forum, including minorities, Member States, United Nations mechanisms, regional intergovernmental bodies and NGOs. 86. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur thus complements and enhances the work of the Forum, and the Special Rapporteur has fostered the complementary and mutual reinforcement of both mechanisms throughout her tenure. She has guided a total of six sessions of the Forum on the following themes: “Guaranteeing the rights of minority women” (2011), “Implementing the United Nations declaration on minority rights: identifying positive practices and opportunities” (2012), “Guaranteeing the rights of religious minorities” (2013), “Preventing and addressing violence and atrocity crimes targeted against minorities” (2014), “Minorities in the criminal justice system” (2015) and 17