A/HRC/31/27 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 4 December 2015 Original: English Human Rights Council Thirty-first session Agenda items 2 and 3 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Summary The Human Rights Council, in its resolutions 13/12 and 22/4 on the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to present an annual report to the Council describing relevant developments in the work of United Nations human rights bodies and mechanisms, as well as activities undertaken by OHCHR at headquarters and in the field, that contribute to the promotion of, and respect for, the provisions of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. The present report covers the OHCHR activities in 2015. During the period under review, OHCHR continued to address the situation of minorities in a range of contexts. In accordance with the guidance note of the SecretaryGeneral on racial discrimination and protection of minorities, the Office reported on both positive practices and gaps in the implementation of the Declaration. It supported Governments and minority representatives with expertise and training, and led efforts to enhance system-wide action by the United Nations to advance the rights of persons belonging to minorities. GE.15-21416(E) *1521416*