Geneva (Switzerland), 27th–28th November 2025 | Within the framework of the United Nations, the Human Rights Council held the 18th session of the Forum on Minority Issues on the theme “The contribution of minorities to diverse, resilient, and peaceful societies”, in which OIDEL actively participated.This year, the Forum focused on how to better recognize the essential role of minorities in building inclusive societies, as well as the persistent obstacles to their full participation.

The first agenda item, “Building trust and social cohesion: addressing barriers to peaceful coexistence”, examined the structural causes of mistrust, exclusion and intergroup tensions, and highlighted State- and community-led initiatives that promote dialogue, mediation, multilingualism, and efforts to combat stigmatization.

OIDEL’s oral statement during the interactive dialogue on Item 1

OIDEL intervened to recall that social cohesion is strengthened when diversity is recognized as a richness. In its statement, the organization stressed that minorities are not peripheral actors but an integral part of the social fabric, and that this recognition must be reflected in education systems.

OIDEL emphasized the importance of freedom of education for minority communities, particularly the right of parents to choose an education consistent with their culture, language and convictions. The organization also refuted the idea that diversifying educational models leads to social fragmentation, noting that a study conducted with CEU-CEFAS found no correlation between educational freedom and social fragmentation.

Finally, OIDEL recalled that while minority-led schools must comply with the educational standards set by the State, these standards should not be designed in a way that undermines cultural or parental rights. Genuine social cohesion emerges when States trust communities and recognize them as full partners in building their education systems.

OIDEL welcomes the importance given by the Forum to the active participation of minorities in building more inclusive, just and resilient societies, and reaffirms its commitment to promoting an education that respects and values the plurality of identities.

See the full intervention here: https://youtu.be/liLBj-iINZI