Kurdistani organizations, including federations, cultural centers, and associations affiliated with the Kurdistan Diaspora Confederation, actively participated in the 18th session of the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues, held November 27–28 at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

The annual forum, which saw participation from nearly 900 organizations worldwide this year, provides a platform to raise awareness about violations against minority communities and to amplify the voices of activists and organization representatives. It also facilitates dialogue with UN member states and promotes cooperation on minority rights, although speakers are allowed only two minutes each to address the assembly.

Participation by Kurdistani organizations from all four parts of Kurdistan has steadily increased in recent years. Representatives detailed the oppression and injustices faced by the Kurdish people under occupying states and highlighted ongoing struggles to preserve identity, achieve peace, and secure democratic rights.

The forum also contrasted the situation in Kurdistan outside the autonomous Region with that within it. While the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is presented as a model of peaceful coexistence and diversity in the Middle East—where laws such as the 2015 legislation protect the rights of religious minorities including Christians, Yazidis, Sabean-Mandeans, Kaka'i, Feyli, Zoroastrians, Turkmen, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Armenians—Kurds in disputed areas continue to face Arabization, displacement, land confiscation, and occupation, sometimes supported by Iraqi security forces.

The primary goal of the UN Forum on Minority Issues is to strengthen partnerships with regional organizations, raise public awareness of minority challenges, and provide expert information to support the work of the UN Special Rapporteur. Outcomes from the forum contribute to reports presented to the UN Human Rights Council and the General Assembly, and regional forums often produce practical recommendations reflecting local contexts.

The UN’s focus on minority rights dates back to the 1992 adoption of the first declaration on the rights of national, ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities by the UN Commission on Human Rights. Since then, the Forum on Minority Issues has met annually to address minority challenges, complemented by international mechanisms such as the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the European Court of Human Rights.

This year, Kurdish statements at the forum brought renewed attention to the ongoing struggles of Kurds across the region and reinforced the Kurdistan Region’s example of peaceful coexistence and respect for diversity.

Reported by Soran Hassan, Switzerland.