Besides the overview of the activities since his previous report (A/HRC/49/46) and the activities marking the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, the UN Special Rapporteur on minority Issues, Fernand de Varennes, presented a thematic report expressing his concern regarding the consideration of minorities at the United Nations and the critical review and assessment of the implementation of the Declaration.
When the Declaration was adopted, in 1992, there was hope for a change in the lives of numerous communities and of millions of people around the world motivated by an expected progressive realisation of the human rights of minorities. But the thematic report conclusions show that this improvement did not take place. He claimed that minorities are the group with less protection at the UN, its institutions being indifferent to minority issues and leaving them behind.
The Special Rapporteur on Minority issues said that United Nations have to prove that their mission includes protection of minorities. He added that their rights have to be protected to advance political and social stability and to prevent conflicts.
He stated that the demand for a treaty to better recognize and protect the human rights of minorities was recurrent and universal. This treaty should include an implementation mechanism, but also mechanisms to constructively engage and assist States to comply with their human rights obligations in relation to minorities.
When the regression in the international protection of minority rights seems obvious, the strong demand to initiate the process of drafting a treaty can be the starting point of a process to reverse this regression and put minority rights in the spotlight.
Know more
On the Special Procedures on minority issues
https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-minority-issues
On this minority issues thematic report
On HRC Special Procedures
https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures-human-rights-council
March 2023