A/HRC/25/56 C. Communications 15. The Independent Expert continues to receive information from diverse sources about human rights violations perpetrated against national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. Based on this information, she has sent communications in the form of letters of allegation and urgent action letters relating to minority issues to Member States over the reporting period, the majority sent jointly with other relevant mandates. These are made publicly available together with responses from concerned Governments in the joint s communications reports of the special procedures submitted to the Council.3 D. Additional activities 1. Strengthening collaborations 16. As follow-up to a recommendation made at the fifth Forum on Minority Issues, the Independent Expert attended the fifty-third session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, in April 2013. She held a consultation with the Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities in Africa and noted with appreciation its openness to engaging in further dialogue concerning minority issues. She addressed the NGO forum and advised civil society representatives about opportunities for cooperation with her mandate, the United Nations human rights system and the Forum on Minority Issues and encouraged Governmental and NGO representatives to attend future Forum sessions. 17. The Independent Expert encouraged the Commission to look into options for dedicating specific attention to minority issues and ensuring that minority concerns are addressed in a systematic way. On 11 April 2013, she issued a press statement warning that hundreds of minority groups across Africa are in dire need of strengthened attention and protection.4 She intends to continue her engagement with the Commission and African regional human rights actors and produce a report on minority issues in the African region. 18. The Independent Expert held consultations with the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, to identify ways in which their respective mandates might strengthen their collaboration in the area of prevention of genocide and mass atrocities. She invited Mr. Dieng to attend the Forum on Minority Issues and deliver a keynote speech in which he recognized that populations are often targeted based on their identity or religious belief and expressed concern over religious and sectarian tensions in the Central African Republic, Egypt, Myanmar and the Syrian Arab Republic. 19. The Independent Expert continued her collaboration with the newly established United Nations network on racial discrimination and protection of minorities, which is coordinated by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). She also continued to contribute to the global consultations on the post-2015 development agenda and submitted two papers on the consultations about inequalities and about good governance. On 5 December 2013, the Independent Expert participated as a panellist in an event held in Geneva to mark Human Rights Day and the twentieth anniversary of OHCHR. 3 4 6 For the latest report, see A/HRC/25/74. Available from www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13220&LangID=E.