A/75/211
Report of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues,
Fernand de Varennes
Effective promotion of the Declaration on the Rights of
Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and
Linguistic Minorities
Summary
In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Fernand
de Varennes, provides a summary of his activities since his previous report to th e
General Assembly and highlights continuing work on the thematic priorities of
statelessness, education and minority languages, hate speech targeting minorities in
social media, as well as initiatives on a regional approach to minority issues. He also
provides a summary of his country visits, communications and other activities.
In the thematic study on the significance and scope of the four categories of
minorities – national or ethnic, religious and linguistic – the Special Rapporteur
reviews the history, approaches and jurisprudence on the categories within United
Nations mechanisms and entities, as well as the views of Member States, civil society
organizations, minorities and other stakeholders, in order to provide greater clarity for
his own mandate and all other stakeholders in upholding the human rights of
minorities. He makes a number of recommendations to ensure greater consistency
within and outside the United Nations on the categories of beneficiaries under the
United Nations minority rights system and to guide the activities of his mandate on
the human rights of persons belonging to minorities.
2/20
20-09835