Forum on the webpage of the Seventeenth session of the Forum.2 These documents formed the basis for the discussions. Format of the Forum The Forum followed the procedure developed over its previous sessions. To help focus the discussions and ensure that they would be interactive, each agenda item was introduced by several invited panellists, followed by interventions from the participants. Outcome documents The present document has been prepared in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 19/23, which requests the Chair to prepare “a summary of the discussion of the Forum, to be made available to all participants of the Forum”. This summary is to be complemented by the outcome document containing the recommendations of the Forum presented by the Special Rapporteur on minority issues to the Human Rights Council at its 58th session in March 2025.3 This summary does not provide the full details of all presentations that were made during the Forum’s proceedings. The list of speakers and the integral version of the statements submitted to the Secretariat of the Forum on Minority Issues can be accessed on the Forum’s webpage. 4 The list of recommendations of the Forum will be published in the report presented by the Special Rapporteur on minority issues to the Human Rights Council. Opening of the Forum The following panelists provided the opening remarks of the Forum: H.E. Mr. Omar Zniber, President of the Human Rights Council; Mr. Volker Türk, High Commissioner for Human Rights (pre-recorded video); Prof. Nicolas Levrat, Special Rapporteur on minority issues; and Ms. Anastasia Crickley, Chair of the seventeenth session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues.5 The President of the Human Rights Council H.E. Mr. Omar Zniber delivered welcoming remarks, praising the Forum as a unique platform for addressing issues related to the enjoyment of human rights by minorities through dialogue and cooperation among all stakeholders. He highlighted this year’s theme, which focuses on “Minority representation and self-representation in public spaces and discourses”. This timely topic addresses the portrayal of minorities, often tainted by bias and negative stereotypes, which hinder social integration. Furthermore, he noted that there are inspiring examples of minorities taking charge of their narratives, engaging in self-representation, and breaking down these harmful 2 https://www.ohchr.org/en/events/forums/2024/seventeenth-session-forum-minorities-issues A/HRC/58/69 4 https://www.ohchr.org/en/events/forums/2024/seventeenth-session-forum-minorities-issues 5 The integral version of the statements can be consulted on the Human Rights Council Extranet here: https://hrcmeetings.ohchr.org/HRCMechanisms/ForumMinority/Pages/17th-session.aspx. 3 2