A/HRC/6/22 page 36 Emphasizing also the importance of national processes aimed at promoting and strengthening dialogue between all relevant stakeholders on issues relating to the rights of persons belonging to national, or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities with a view to ensuring the realization of their rights without discrimination and to help build stable societies, 1. Decides to establish a forum on minority issues to provide a platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation on issues pertaining to persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, which shall provide thematic contributions and expertise to the work of the independent expert on minority issues.1 The Forum shall identify and analyse best practices, challenges, opportunities and initiatives for the further implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities; 2. Also decides that the Forum shall be open to the participation of States, United Nations mechanisms, bodies and specialized agencies, funds and programmes, intergovernmental organizations, regional organizations and mechanisms in the field of human rights, national human rights institutions and other relevant national bodies, academics and experts on minority issues and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council; the Forum shall also be open to other non-governmental organizations whose aims and purposes are in conformity with the spirit, purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, based on arrangements, including Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31 of 25 July 1996, and practices observed by the Commission on Human Rights, through an open and transparent accreditation procedure in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the Human Rights Council, which will provide for the timely information on participation and consultations with States concerned; 3. Decides further that the Forum shall meet annually for two working days allocated to thematic discussions; 4. Requests the President of the Human Rights Council to appoint for each session, on the basis of regional rotation, and in consultation with regional groups, a chairperson of the Forum among experts on minority issues, nominated by members and observers of the Council; the chairperson, serving in his/her personal capacity, shall be responsible for the preparation of a summary of the discussion of the Forum, to be made available to all participants of the Forum; 5. Decides that the independent expert on minority issues shall guide the work of the Forum and prepare its annual meetings, and invites him/her to include in his/her report thematic recommendations of the Forum and recommendations for future thematic subjects, for consideration by the Human Rights Council; 1 Subject to review of the mandate of the independent expert, as foreseen in resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007.