4 participation of persons belonging to minority groups. These minorities issues are as important as the enjoyment of civil and political rights. Further, discriminations against persons belonging to minorities in the socio-economic sphere may not only be the result of public authorities’ behaviour towards persons belonging to a minority group – or failure to protect them – but very often are the feat of private actors. Countering such behaviours will therefore require other types of actions to effectively protect and promote the rights of persons belonging to minority groups. In the past three days was held, here, in this very room, the Forum on Business and Human Rights, which would have also been very competent to deal with such issues. Actually, minority issues intersect with most other Human Rights issues, while at the same the time requiring specific treatment. This understanding of intersecting approaches on minority issues should be a signal for all of us present here, to imagine broader perspectives to efficiently promote and preserve minority rights. To conclude this introductory statement, I would like to come back to Resolution 6/15 of 28 September 2007 of the HRC which instituted this Forum on Minority issues. That Resolution emphasizes in its Preamble “the importance of dialogue among all relevant stakeholders on the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities as an integral part of the development of society as a whole, including the sharing of best practices such as for the promotion of mutual understanding of minority issues, managing diversity by recognizing plural identities, and promoting inclusive and stable societies as well as social cohesion.” Originally (in the Antique Roma city) the forum was a space outside the formal institutional buildings, which allowed social and societal issues to be debated and discussed by all stakeholders, beyond those who held institutional positions (who naturally also did participate to this broader debate). This is precisely what this Forum is – somehow reproducing in a more modern setting the antique debating arena – and I sincerely hope that dialogue on minority issues – despite diverging standpoints and understandings on minority issues – will take place during these two days, enriching and diversifying both our singular and common understandings of minority issues.