This Forum has established itself as one of the main platforms for dialogue among stakeholders in the promotion and protection of minority rights. It is the space to share best practices and to promote mutual understanding of minority issues, in accordance with resolution 6/15 which established it. Since the creation of the Forum, the organizers have always done their best to give the protagonism to the voices of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, throughout the proceedings of the Forum. I hope that the variety of experiences from the wide range of participants present here, will be reflected again in the discussions and eventually feed recommendations that will be presented by the independent expert to the Human Rights Council in March 2012. In the last three years, this forum has addressed key issues relating to the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to minorities, namely, "minorities and the right to education", "minorities and effective political participation" and " minorities and effective participation in economic life". The Council welcomed and benefited from the exhaustive recommendations and practices that have emanated from the previous three sessions of the Forum on minority issues. This year, the period of sessions will focus on the specific challenges that women belonging to minorities face in relation to these issues. The Council looks forward with particular interest the recommendations that will result from this meeting. Madam President, Ladies and Gentlemen, The promotion and protection of women's rights and combating violence against women have been instrumental in the work of the Human Rights Council since its creation. The double principle of equality and non-discrimination, which are in fact the basis on which all international human rights system is built, are also the foundations on which the Council has been established and will continue to build their work. Since 2007, the Human Rights Council has included in its work program a day dedicated to the rights of women, in recognition of both the importance of the rights of women and the centrality of issues related to their activities. In 2010, the discussion focused on the empowerment of women through education, a key issue that will also be discussed in this forum, focusing on the particular challenges that women who belong to minorities face, doubly discriminated sometimes for being a woman and belonging to minorities. The Council also decided in 2007 to hold an annual debate about the integration of gender perspective in their work and its mechanisms. Moreover, in addition to the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Last year the Council created a new working group on discrimination against women, in law and in practice, which will present its first report in June 2012. Under its mandate, the working group will have to formulate recommendations on improving legislation and law enforcement, to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, in particular goal 3 on the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women. 2 Madam President, Ladies and Gentlemen,