A/RES/68/172
Effective promotion of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons
Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities
peaceful resolution of conflicts involving the rights of persons belonging to national
or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities,
Expressing concern at the frequency and severity of disputes and conflicts
involving persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities
in many countries and their often tragic consequences, and that such persons often
suffer disproportionately from the effects of conflicts resulting in the violation of
their human rights and are particularly vulnerable to displacement through, inter
alia, population transfers, refugee flows and forced relocation,
Emphasizing the important role that national institutions can play in the
promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic,
religious and linguistic minorities as well as in early warning and awareness-raising
measures to address problems regarding minority situations,
Emphasizing also the need for reinforced efforts to meet the goal of the full
realization of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and
linguistic minorities, including by addressing economic and social conditions and
marginalization, as well as to end any type of discrimination against them,
Emphasizing further the importance of recognizing and addressing multiple,
aggravated and intersecting forms of discrimination against persons belonging to
national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and the compounded negative
impact upon the enjoyment of their rights,
Emphasizing the fundamental importance of human rights education, training
and learning as well as of dialogue, including intercultural and interfaith dialogue,
and interaction among all relevant stakeholders and members of society on the
promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic,
religious and linguistic minorities as an integral part of the development of society
as a whole, including the sharing of best practices such as for the promotion of
mutual understanding of minority issues, managing diversity by recognizing plural
identities and promoting inclusive and stable societies as well as social cohesion
therein,
Acknowledging that the United Nations has an important role to play regarding
the protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and
linguistic minorities by, inter alia, taking due account of, and giving effect to, the
Declaration, and recalling the paragraphs in its resolution 67/292 of 24 July 2013 on
multilingualism relating to the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic,
religious and linguistic minorities and recognizing that multilingualism is a means of
preserving the diversity of languages and cultures globally,
Affirming that the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration, in
2012, offered an important opportunity to reflect on the promotion and protection of
the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic
minorities, on achievements, best practices and challenges with regard to
implementation of the Declaration, on the diverse ways in which it has been used
and implemented in practice at the national, regional and international levels and on
the impact that it has had on national legislation, institutional mechanisms and their
activities and programmes to advance the rights of persons belonging to national or
ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities,
Acknowledging the various activities undertaken by States, regional
intergovernmental bodies, civil society, including non-governmental organizations,
and the United Nations system to commemorate the anniversary, in particular the
regional expert workshops organized by the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights,
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