United Nations General Assembly A/RES/58/182 Distr.: General 17 March 2004 Fifty-eighth session Agenda item 117 (b) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 22 December 2003 [on the report of the Third Committee (A/58/508/Add.2)] 58/182. Effective promotion of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 47/135 of 18 December 1992, as well as its subsequent resolutions on the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, Considering that the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities contribute to political and social stability and peace and enrich the cultural diversity and heritage of society as a whole in the States in which such persons live, Concerned by the frequency and severity of disputes and conflicts concerning minorities and their often tragic consequences, and concerned also that persons belonging to minorities are particularly vulnerable to displacement, Recognizing that the effective promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to minorities is a fundamental part of the promotion and protection of human rights, and acknowledging that measures in this area can also contribute significantly to conflict prevention, Emphasizing the role that national institutions can play in early warning for problems regarding minority situations, Emphasizing also the importance of human rights education as an effective tool to promote an inclusive society and understanding of and tolerance towards and among persons belonging to minorities, Acknowledging that the United Nations has an important role to play regarding the protection of minorities by, inter alia, taking due account of and giving effect to the Declaration, Noting that the Working Group on Minorities of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights held its eighth and ninth sessions from 27 to 31 May 2002 and 12 to 16 May 2003, respectively, 03 50550