Working Group on Minorities 19 May - 25 May 1998

1 October 1999

Mr Chairman,

With regard to the working groups mandate to promote dialogue, and drawing on many of the interventions made by participants, including expert members, governments and minority groups, Minority Rights Group International, the International Center for Ethnic Studies and the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization would like to recommend the following:

1. Expert members of the working group should pay visits to countries, based on an equal regional distribution, upon the request of governments or minorities, as happens in the case of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations. These visits will also contribute to the identification of examples of good practice.

With regard to minorities who have presented their case to the working group, the working group should request information on the implementation of the Declaration on Minorities and other international human rights instruments regarding minorities, from governments in question.

2. Under Article 9 of the Declaration on Minorities, UN specialized agencies shall contribute to the full realization of the rights and principles as set forth in this declaration, within their respective fields of competence. UN agencies should be requested to submit written information on the activities concerning the implementation of the Declaration on Minorities to the working group. This written information should be submitted to the working group prior to its session, and be made available as working papers.

UN Agencies and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights should examine the possibilities of minorities? access to technical assistance programmes.

3. The working group should consider organizing its agenda in a more efficient way. For example the formulation of its agenda along thematic lines such as education, language, participation, etc., could help to encourage a more coherent and detailed discussion of issues raised.

4. The secretariat of the working group should encourage governments to invite their experts in the relevant fields to participate in the session of the working group. Participation of experts who themselves are members of minorities should be encouraged.

5. The working group should examine the need for the organization of expert seminars between sessions. In addition it should consider how the recommendations of these seminars can be most efficiently fed into the deliberations of the working group. Transparency regarding the choice of seminar topics should be ensured.

6. A database of information on minorities of treaty bodies, special and thematic rapporteurs as well as UN agencies should be set up by the secretariat to facilitate the dissemination of existing information and to avoid duplication.

7. The working group should set up a voluntary fund to facilitate a broader participation of representatives of minorities.

8. We thank the secretariat for its work in organizing this year?s working group. In view of the anticipated increase in the working groups activities, we recommend that further resources be allocated to the secretariat.