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Pakistan: Arooj Khalid addresses the UN Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva

As part of Minority Rights Group International's Global Advoacacy Program, a number of minority rights activists from around the world came to Geneva to the UN Forum on Minority Issues, which held its 5th Session in November 2012. The theme of the forum was the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, which was adopted by the UN 20 years ago.

In this video, Arooj Khalid, representing the Pakistani NGO Strengthening Participatory Organization, addresses the Forum. She describes how the progress made in the Pakistani Constitution has yet to be translated into laws, and notes how law enforcement agencies are unaware of provisions for minorities, and may even be instigators of violence. Pakistan, she notes, has recently witnessed an unprecedented increase in extremist and often violent activities, particularly targeting religious minorities.

Minority activists from Zimbabwe, Moldova, Russia, Nigeria, Macedonia, Uganda, Montenegro, Thailand, Indonesia and Morocco also spoke at the forum. All their speeches are available to watch on our YouTube channel here.