15th Session, Geneva, 1 and 2 December 2022 has impacted on aspects of national legislation, institutional mechanisms and their activities to advance the rights of persons belonging to minorities. By using this opportunity, the UN Forum will take stock not only on the milestones achieved but also missed opportunities, failures and existing gaps in the minority rights protection. Looking into the past and present through the UNDM’s lenses, the UN Forum will also provide a platform to build a shared future-oriented vision over the the global recognition, protection and promotion of the rights of minorities for a secure life in a diverse and just world. As the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues Dr Fernand de Varennes pointed out in the concept notes for his mandate’s four regional forums (Americas, Africa- Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Europe-Central Asia) held in 2022 and organized by the Tom Lantos Institute, the UNDM needs to be better understood, acknowledged and implemented since “minorities continue to remain vulnerable to oppression and face denial of their human rights in every corner of the globe. More than three quarters of the world’s stateless are persons who belong to minorities, and in many countries around the same proportion are the targets of hate speech and hate crimes. Most of the world’s violence and conflict target minorities on the basis of their religious, linguistic, cultural, racial and ethnic identities.” The 15th session of the Forum will therefore be framed around the theme of “Review. Rethink. Reform” and will encourage a constructive dialogue over a number of questions, including “How has the Declaration been mainstreamed within the national and regional normative frameworks and the UN system?” and “How can the Declaration respond to the new challenges appeared since its adoption?”. The UN Forum will encourage open discussion about ways to eliminate persisting obstacles in implementing the Declaration and means to achieve wider and tangible progress. Recognizing the ultimate role of minority human rights defenders in bringing the principles of the Declaration into life, the Forum will place their experiences into the heart of the two-days discussions. 2