 Our world is a tapestry of diversity. Each strand woven together forms the fabric of our global society. Yet, when we try to pick at the threads based on their color or thickness, we begin to see tears. Thirty years ago, the world made a promise to do more to protect the human rights of people from national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities in all spheres of life. We all recognize that promoting and protecting minorities is an obligation inherent in universal human rights, and this is in the interests of society as a whole. To tackle discrimination, including in its many intersecting forms, we must use the tools at our disposal more effectively. Today, unfortunately, we see an upsurge in mistrust between and among communities. Disinformation, hate speech, propaganda, false assumptions, bigotry and prejudice are creating tensions and causing political and social polarization. In the meantime, the COVID pandemic, climate change and environmental pollution, the effects of war and conflict, the financial crisis, all affect minorities disproportionately. These crises are exacerbating the pressures that minorities have been subjected to for decades because of unequal treatment and marginalization by social systems. In some countries, minority repression has become so severe that it is causing social upheaval and fragmentation, as well as jeopardizing peace and security. While conflict situations are usually complex and involve many factors, the grievances that minorities have go largely unheard and unresolved can create conditions for violence. An important step in this approach is to make it easier for minorities and their representatives, particularly minority women, to participate in decision-making at all levels. On the 30th anniversary of the Declaration on Minority Rights, we need to take urgent action to ensure that international legal standards in place to protect minorities are translated into reality for all minority groups everywhere around the world. And in their day-to-day lives, they are safe from discrimination and exclusion and have a voice in decision-making. We must make room for diversity by protecting the rights of minorities. Pluralistic, multiple and multi-layered identities contribute to a more colorful societal tapestry. The variety of threats that are woven together strengthens our social fabric.