A/HRC/43/28 I. Introduction 1. In its resolution 37/14 on the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, the Human Rights Council requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to present an annual report to the Council. The present report contains information on relevant developments in the work of United Nations human rights bodies and mechanisms, and on the specific strategies adopted and activities undertaken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), at its headquarters and in the field, that contribute to the promotion of and respect for the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. 2. According to article 9 of the Declaration, the United Nations system should contribute to the full realization of the rights and principles set forth therein. That task affects all three pillars of the United Nations, and requires system-wide, coordinated engagement. Such work is facilitated by the United Nations network on racial discrimination and protection of minorities, which is coordinated by OHCHR and which aims to engage the entire United Nations system. 3. In 2019, the network pursued its efforts to boost dialogue and cooperation among the relevant United Nations departments, agencies, funds and programmes. In that context, the network developed a guidance tool on descent-based discrimination, focusing on the key challenges and strategic approaches to combat caste-based discrimination and analogous forms of discrimination. In 2019, the tool was used in various activities addressing descent-based discrimination. II. Minorities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 4. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is grounded in international human rights norms. With its commitment to leave no one behind and to reach the furthest behind first, the 2030 Agenda encapsulates the human rights principles of equality and nondiscrimination. The 2030 Agenda envisages a world of universal respect for human rights and human dignity, the rule of law, justice, equality and non-discrimination; of respect for race, ethnicity and cultural diversity. The 2030 Agenda should be read alongside existing commitments and obligations towards persons belonging to minorities to guide States and other partners, including the private sector, in achieving all the Sustainable Development Goals. 5. Although the Sustainable Development Goals do not make a specific reference to minorities, realizing the human rights of minorities is imperative for achieving the goals globally. The principle of leaving no one behind is critical in ensuring that the Sustainable Development Goals are implemented in a manner consistent with international human rights standards and the existing obligations of States. People who are left behind are often economically, socially, spatially and/or politically excluded – for example, due to ethnicity, race, gender, age, disability or a combination of these, leading to multiple forms of discrimination. They are those most at risk of not enjoying their civil, cultural, economic, political or social rights. To better tailor and target laws, policies and programmes to those lagging most behind, States need to further increase their investment in disaggregated data. OHCHR has made a concrete contribution to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals, including for minorities. In addition to strengthening its work on the Sustainable Development Goals and inequalities, in particular at the country level, OHCHR also supported the work of the United Nations on an operational guide to support country teams and States in implementing the commitments involved in leaving no one behind. 6. In 2019, the high-level political forum on sustainable development considered the topic of empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality, with a special focus on reviewing progress on Goals 4, 8, 10, 13, 16 and 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals. As regards Goal 10, the High Commissioner stated that reducing inequalities was fundamental to human rights and that inequalities frequently arose from persistent 2