12 U N I T E D N AT I O N S M E C H A N I S M S F O R M I N O R I T Y P R O T E C T I O N Finally, the Special Rapporteur complements and provides input into the work of other UN bodies and mechanisms that address minority rights, in particular the UN Forum on Minority Issues. The Special Rapporteur is responsible for guiding the work of the Forum, organizing its sessions, selecting thematic subjects for the Forum, and reporting on the thematic discussions and recommendations that result from the Forum. Forum on Minority Issues In 2007, the Human Rights Council, with resolution 6/15, established the Forum on Minority Issues. According to the resolution, the purpose of the Forum is to “provide a platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation on issues pertaining to persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities.”31 In addition, the Forum is meant to complement the work of the Special Rapporteur by providing thematic contributions and expertise to inform his work. It does so by identifying and analyzing “best practices, challenges, opportunities and initiatives for the further implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities.”32 Since 2008, the Forum has met every year for two working days. It is convened around a specific theme selected by the Special Rapporteur, and led by a Chair selected by the Human Rights Council. The Forum is generally held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, but has been held online or in a hybrid format since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Forum is open to the participation of states, experts, minority representatives, and civil society organizations. The Forum is unique among many UN events in that consultative status with ECOSOC is not required for participation. This means that a broader range of civil society organizations, many of whom are unable to undergo the lengthy process of obtaining consultative status with ECOSOC, are able to participate simply by registering for the Forum. This ensures equitable participation and provides all participants the opportunity to make interventions. As described earlier, the Special Rapporteur is responsible for guiding the work of the Forum, selecting Forum themes, organizing the Forum sessions, and reporting on the thematic discussions and recommendations resulting from the Forum. The Forum is generally divided into four thematic sessions organized around the selected theme. Invited experts 31 Human Rights Council Resolution 6/15 : Forum on Minority Issues 32 Id. U N I T E D N AT I O N S M E C H A N I S M S F O R M I N O R I T Y P R O T E C T I O N make short presentations at the beginning of each session, which are then followed by interactive discussion. Participants are allocated 2 minutes to make interventions and suggest recommendations to be included in the final set of Forum recommendations. The set of Forum recommendations, directed at states and other stakeholders, represents the main output of the Forum. Following the conclusion of the Forum, the Special Rapporteur and the Chair of the Forum submit a report to the Human Rights Council on the recommendations and discussions held at the Forum. In addition to the formal outputs of the Forum, the Forum represents a key tool for minority activists and their representatives in the form of advocacy and networking. The Forum is the sole international platform where minorities are able to meet annually, form advocacy networks, share best practices, and impact the development of norms. To this end, Forum participants have the opportunity to organize side-events to increase discussions around specific topics under the theme of the Forum itself. These side-events represent additional opportunities for discussion, networking, and sharing best practices. 13