A/HRC/43/28 provide regional insights into legislative, institutional and policy initiatives on the protection and promotion of minority language education, and the adoption of inclusive pedagogical and educational approaches, with a view to ensuring equal access to education for persons belonging to minorities.53 79. The twelfth session of the Forum on Minority Issues, held in Geneva in November, was dedicated to the topic of “education, language and the human rights of minorities”. Building on regional experiences, it reflected on the global experiences, culminating in specific recommendations addressed to all the relevant stakeholders. The Forum analysed practices, challenges, opportunities and initiatives in addressing education in, and the teaching of, minority languages as a human rights issue, in line with the principles and rights enshrined in the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities and other relevant international instruments. 80. The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, completed in June 2019 the first phase of the trust-building initiative aimed at promoting the learning of both official languages in Kosovo. As a result, the first online Albanian-Serbian and Serbian-Albanian dictionary, containing 20,000 words and an associated Serbian and Albanian online language course, were developed. The second project phase, which started in September 2019, encompassed further development of the dictionary and the online language course. In the long run, this initiative will contribute positively to the reconciliation and socioeconomic inclusion of communities in Kosovo, as well as to the general peacebuilding efforts in the region. Taking into consideration that all tools will be available electronically, the project will also be beneficial for a larger audience in the Western Balkans. 81. In May, the Ukrainian law “on ensuring the functioning of Ukrainian as the State language” was signed. OHCHR had raised concerns that some provisions that could jeopardize the rights of minorities had immediate effect, particularly those relating to the rules on the use of the State language in governance and public services, including at local levels. OHCHR advocated for the Cabinet of Ministers to prioritize the development of a law on the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples, through an inclusive and consultative process, in order to ensure a fair balance between the protection of the rights of minorities and the promotion of the State language as a tool for integration within society. 82. In a statement to mark the International Day of Sign Languages, 54 the Special Rapporteur on minority issues called on States to undertake legislative, institutional and policy measures to recognize deaf people as members of a linguistic minority and to ensure the systematic inclusion of sign languages in the provision of services. 83. In his statement at the end of his visit to Spain in January, the Special Rapporteur expressed concern over a reported gap between the recognized status of co-official languages and the extent of their actual use, and the implementation of related legislation. He highlighted that linguistic minorities had a right to use their languages, to an appropriate degree in proportion to their population, in interactions with State authorities and institutions in situations in which it was reasonable and justified, but that such a right remained unfulfilled in a number of regions. 84. In 2019, the Human Rights Committee and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination addressed concerns relating to linguistic minorities. For example, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination recommended ensuring the availability of trained and qualified interpreters to assist in the provision of public services to the Sami community and other linguistic minorities. 55 It also encouraged States to preserve and promote minority languages in law and practice, to take special measures and to increase the necessary human, technical and financial resources for quality instruction in official and minority languages.56 53 See www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Minorities/SRMinorities/Pages/ConsultationsRegionalActivities.aspx. 54 23 September 2019. CERD/C/NOR/CO/23-24, para. 22. CERD/C/IRQ/CO/22-25, para. 22. 55 56 14