4th Meeting, 14th session of the Forum on Minority…

15:00-16:45 (local time in Geneva) Item 5: Towards a lasting peace: positive initiatives to better protect the rights of minorities to prevent conflicts The session will focus on practical solutions designed to prevent violent conflicts involving minorities. Participants will discuss the role of United Nations agencies, national human rights institutions, civil society and other stakeholders. In order to further clarify positive initiatives to prevent conflicts, participants will consider the Beirut Declaration on Faith for Rights and its 18 commitments. More specifically, participants will reflect on the commitment by faith-based and civil society actors to exchange on practices in areas of mediation, early detection of communal tensions and remedial techniques. Participants will also debate the role of minority youth and women as valuable innovators and agents of change, whose contributions should be seen as an essential part of preventing conflicts and building peaceful communities, as recommended by the Forum at its tenth session (see A/HRC/37/73). Participants will also reflect on the benefits of minority youth and minority women ownership and leadership in conflict prevention processes. ● Ms. Farah Mihlar, Lecturer, College of Social Sciences and International Studies, University of Exeter ● Ms. Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights and Head, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in New York ● Ms. Mireille Kamitatu Olungakana, Peace and Development Advisor, United Nations Cameroon -Interactive Dialogue 16:45-17:00 (local time in Geneva) Item 6: Concluding remarks Concluding remarks by Mr. Fernand de Varennes, Special Rapporteur on minority issues Concluding remarks by Ms. Victoria Donda, Chairperson of the Forum on Minority Issues -Session closes