A/HRC/7/23 page 4 I. INTRODUCTION 1. The independent expert is pleased to submit to the Human Rights Council her third annual report pursuant to Council resolution 2005/79. The present report provides an overview of her activities since her previous report, submitted in February 2007 (A/HRC/4/9) as well as a thematic analysis of issues as they relate to minorities and the denial or deprivation of citizenship. A. Country visits 2. Since the presentation of her previous report, the independent expert has undertaken official country missions to France, from 19 to 28 September 2007 (A/HRC/7/23/Add.2) and to the Dominican Republic, from 22 to 29 October 2007 (A/HRC/7/23/Add.3), the latter conducted jointly with the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. 3. In pursuance of the independent expert’s mandate to promote the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Minorities and to identify best practices in every region, she welcomes the positive responses of the Government of Guyana and the Government of Greece to her request for a country visit in 2008. She looks forward to continuing a dialogue with Bangladesh, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Panama, Surinam, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Turkey, to whom she has made requests to visit. B. Activities 4. Supported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), on 29 and 30 January 2007, the independent expert held an expert consultation aimed at assisting regional and national institutions with respect to standard setting and effective mechanisms to combat discrimination and protect the rights of minorities. The proceedings of the consultation, which was held in close consultation with the Organization of American States, considered regional perspectives on minorities, discrimination and intolerance. The outcomes contributed substantively to a revised draft Inter-American Convention against Racism and All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance. The expert consultation benefitted from the participation of civil society representatives and other international experts and practitioners from every region. 5. With a view to enhancing her collaboration with United Nations treaty bodies, and particularly the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in March 2007, the independent expert held a second official dialogue with the Committee, during which she discussed possibilities for collaboration with a view to contributing to the Committee’s capacity to consider minority issues in its work, including with respect to its early warning, urgent action and follow-up mechanisms. The independent expert has also engaged with the Committee on country-specific issues and welcomes opportunities to enhance coordination of their respective mandates in this regard. 6. The independent expert has continued her efforts to further the mainstreaming of minority issues within the work of the United Nations. She has consulted widely with United Nations agencies and bodies, including OHCHR and the United Nations Development Programme