A/HRC/RES/55/15
Noting with appreciation the high-level meeting convened by the President of the
General Assembly during the general debate of the Assembly at its seventy-seventh session
to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of
Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, which served
as an opportunity for States to reflect on implementation gaps, exchange best practices and
make voluntary pledges to enhance the implementation of the Declaration,
Noting other multilateral, regional, subregional and national initiatives to mark the
thirtieth anniversary of the Declaration and further its implementation,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 76/6 of 15 November 2021, in which the
Assembly welcomed, as a basis for further consideration by Member States, the submission
of the report of the Secretary-General entitled “Our Common Agenda”,1 which included an
appeal for new approaches to strengthen the participation in public affairs of persons
belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities,
Taking note of the publication entitled Protecting Minority Rights: A Practical Guide
to Developing Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Legislation by the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,2
Stressing that the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to
national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities contribute to political and social stability
and cohesion,
Noting with concern that disregard for the identity of persons belonging to national or
ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, their political and socioeconomic marginalization,
hate speech and the denial of their human rights often precede violence and should therefore
serve as early warning signs of a risk of serious crimes and conflict,
Recalling the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, as endorsed by the
Human Rights Council in its resolution 17/4 of 16 June 2011, and encouraging States, which
are the primary duty bearers, and business enterprises, including social media companies, to
implement the Guiding Principles in order to foster respect for human rights, online and
offline, including in the context of addressing hate speech,
Expressing concern at the frequency and severity of disputes and conflicts involving
persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, 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 forced displacement through, inter
alia, population transfers, the revocation of previously held identity documents, refugee flows
and forced relocation,
Recalling that States should take measures to create favourable conditions to enable
persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities to express their
characteristics and to develop their culture, language, religion, traditions and customs, and in
this regard underscoring the importance of government services, including education, in their
own languages, including spoken and sign languages, where applicable;
Recognizing that a vast majority of stateless persons are persons belonging to national
or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, emphasizing in this regard the need for birth
registration, civil registration and national identification documents to be provided without
discrimination on any grounds, including race, ethnicity, religion or language, in line with
the 2030 Agenda, especially target 16.9 thereof, aimed at providing a legal identity for all,
noting in that respect the launch of the Global Alliance to End Statelessness of the Office of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and recalling that the global campaign
to end statelessness within a decade, launched in 2014, will finish in 2024,
Stressing the importance of the full, equal and meaningful participation of persons
belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, including women, youth
and persons with disabilities, and their representatives at all levels of policymaking and
decision-making and in conflict prevention and resolution, mediation, post-conflict
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2
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A/75/982.
United Nations publication, 2023.