Marginalised Minorities - OHCHR

1 A U N D P R E S O U R C E G U I D E A N D T O O L K I T in Development ProgrammingMarginalisedMinoritiesThere is no copyright attached to this publication. It may be reproduced in whole or in part without prior permission from the United Nations Development Programme. However, the source must be acknowledged. May 2010 Cover Photo credits: Top left: Victoria Hazou Top center: Shutterstock Top right: Adel Yahya Bottom left: Manoocher Deghati Bottom right: Julius Mwelu Language and editing: Chantelle McCabeDesign and layout: Green Communication Design inc. ( ) United Nations Development ProgrammeDemocratic Governance Group Bureau for Development Policy 304 East 45th Street, 10th Floor New York, NY 10017 USA A U N D P R E S O U R C E G U I D E A N D T O O L K I T in Development ProgrammingMarginalisedMinoritiesDemocra tic Governance GroupBureau for Development Polic yiThe poorest communities in almost any region tend to be minority communities that have been targets of long-standing discrimination, exclusion and sometimes violence.

2 This is true of the least developed countries, but also of the most developed. A key message of my work as Independent Expert on minority issues since July 2005 has been that poverty within minority communities must be viewed as both a cause and a manifestation of the diminished rights, opportunities, and social advancement available to the members of those communities. If pov-erty reduction initiatives and efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are to benefit Minorities , more coherent efforts and targeted strategies are required that address directly the plight of disadvantaged Minorities . The dire situation of so many ethnic, religious or linguistic Minorities is often exacerbated by numerous and complex factors. Discrimination and inequality circumscribe every aspect of their life opportunities. They are often denied equal access to quality education. Racist notions in the wider community may limit their employment possibilities to the most low-waged and precarious options.

3 When their rights are violated, recourse to institutions of justice is often a distant possibility. Additionally, disadvantaged Minorities are commonly poorly represented in political structures and decision making bodies and consequently have little control over deci-sions that affect them. Lacking a voice in shaping their own circumstances, they are vulnerable to neglect. And when disasters strike, these communities are most likely to be at the back of the line for humanitarian assistance, if not totally forgotten. To address the development situation of Minorities requires holistic and sustained approaches that recognize their rights as individuals and distinct minority communities. Such approaches must start from an understanding of the impact of discrimination on minority groups and effec-tive methods to achieve equality. There must be a recognition that the human development of every sector of society benefits all and promotes prosperity and stability for all.

4 I am proud to have collaborated with UNDP in producing Marginalised Minorities in Development Programming: A UNDP Resource Guide and Toolkit. The UNDP brought to this partnership the extraordinary knowledge and commitment of its staff from headquarters, regional centres and country offices around the globe. The process has strengthened its staff s understanding and integration of minority issues across all key areas of work and programmes. The UNDP Resource Guide and Toolkit provides essential guidance on minority issues for UNDP field staff and many others alike. It provides an accessible and invaluable one-stop store of information, including standards and principles of minority rights, consideration of important minority issues, and attention to major challenges facing Minorities . Importantly, it provides the practical tools to help UNDP country offices address those challenges for and alongside Minorities as partners, not just beneficiaries.

5 I am excited by the prospect of working together to see this Resource Guide and Toolkit applied in different regional and country contexts. Gay J. McDougallUnited Nations Independent Expert on minority issuesPREfACEiiiMeaningful progress towards sustainable human development, inclusion and stability can be better achieved through measures that promote and protect human rights and ensure effec-tive participation of Minorities in such efforts. Discrimination and exclusion of national or ethnic, religious and linguistic Minorities undermine efforts to achieve poverty reduction, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), democratic governance, environmental sustainability and conflict prevention. In contrast, effective participation of Minorities enriches decision-making, and helps us plan, implement and monitor sustainable and effective solutions to development challenges. Marginalised Minorities in Development Programming: A UNDP Resource Guide and Toolkit , a joint initiative between UNDP, the UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, highlights the positive impact that the integration of minority issues can have on development programming processes.

6 While recognizing that diverse development situations involve different challenges and require specific solutions, the document provides practical guidance by drawing on various standards and principles and by providing examples and entry points. The Guide is primarily intended for UNDP country office practitioners and those with policy advisory responsibilities, but it may also serve as a refer-ence document for other UN agencies, multilateral organizations, government counterparts and institutions, and civil society preparation of the document benefited from two important aspects:First, the process was led by UNDP practitioners who took stock of key issues, challenges and gaps with regard to UNDP engagement with Minorities in relevant practice areas. They identified entry points that would help UNDP to better address issues related to Minorities in development, took part in an online survey and shared information on projects, programmes and various tools developed for country and region specific situations.

7 UNDP practitioners also drafted different sections of the Guide and validated various drafts. This engagement helped to ensure institutional ownership and practical focus of the , the unwavering support and substantive contributions of the UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Minority Rights Group International enriched the document tremendously, bringing clarity to complex conceptual issues that underpin the promotion and protection of minority document is being released at a critical moment as we face a range of acute development challenges. We hope that the Guide will be used as widely as possible, and that it will help to pave the way towards an increasingly systematic and decisive contribution by the UN system towards full realization of minority rights, pursuant to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Fraser-MoleketiPractice Director, Democratic Governance GroupBureau for Development PolicyUNDPfOREWORDM arcia KranDirector, Research and Right to Development DivisionUNOHCHRvThis Resource Guide and Toolkit, led by a Task Force, has benefited from the contributions of a vast number of colleagues from UNDP and the UNOHCHR.

8 Our sincere thanks go to Gay McDougall, UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues, for her leadership and commit-ment, and Mark Lattimer, Executive Director of Minorities Right Group International (MRG), for being with us throughout the lengthy journey. Special appreciation is due to Mary Robinson (President - Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, and the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights) for attending the first global consultation on UNDP s Engagement with Minorities in Development Processes . Colleagues who attended two global consultations, organised to initiate and validate the draft, responded to the organisation-wide survey, and provided immense support during the process in various ways include: Soknan Han Jung, Sayed Aqa, Douglas Gardner, Luis Gomez-Echeverri, Pippa Norris, Brian Gleeson, Dorothy Rosenberg, Andrey Ivanov, Celine Moyroud, Valeria Izzi, Bharati Sadasivam, Lazima Onta Bhatta, Chandra Roy, Fran Deans, Paola Pagliani, Michel Guinand, Maina David, Hugo Cayzac, Julia Kercher, Hans Buvollen, Florin Botonogu, Beatriz Fernandez Carrillo, Tatiana Lopes, Emilie Filmer-Wilson, Rustam Pulatov, Louise Nylin, Susanne Milcher, Albana Gjuzi, Oksana Leshchenko, Monjurul Kabir, Jagoda Walorek, Marie-Claire Angwa, Randa Aboul-Hosn, Sarah Lucey, Emiliana Zhivkova, Oksana Remiga, Martin Zeh-Nlo, Francois Duluc, Hodan Addou, Lenni Montiel, Ernest Rwamucyo, Brian McQuinn, Deena Patel, Linda Maguire, Aleida Ferreyra, Terence Hay-Edie, Clarence Dias, Kathryn Ramsay, Yanti Triyulianti, Elisabet Eklund, Davaadulam Tsegmed, Tanni Mukhopadhyay, Seeta Giri, Edwin Berry, Giulia Senigaglia, Tsung-Ping Chung.

9 Thinguri Thomas, Jennifer Rubis, Nguyen Tien Phong, Shireen Said, Varsha Redkar, Matthias Meier, Seid Turkovic, Maruan El Krekshi, Isolina Sanchez Andrade, Thord Palmlund, Rajju Malla Dhakal, Scott Hubli, Moises Venancio, Diane Sheinberg, Fayyaz Baqir, and Joccy Fajardo. Special thanks also to Markko Kallonen who helped us in developing the survey, analysing findings and assisting in producing the first thanks also due to the following colleagues from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights who attended the consultations and provided immense sup-port throughout the process: Ibrahim Wani, Fiona Blyth-Kubota, Erik Friberg, Julian Burger, Pablo Espi ela, Antti Korkeakivi, Karim Ghezraoui, Jose Para, Ilona Kl mov -Alexander, Michele Buteau, and David Marshall. Special thanks are due to Graham Fox for his unwavering dedication and Resource Guide and Toolkit also benefitted tremendously from the inputs provided by representatives of civil society organisations working on minority issues in over 35 countries to the UNDP Discussion Paper on Minorities , produced by MRG.

10 Special thanks are due to Corinne Lennox for her several years of tireless engagement with UNDP on minority issues and being the lead author of the Resource Guide and Toolkit. The initiative was coordinated and managed by Zanofer Ismalebbe and Patrick van Weerelt, on behalf of the Democratic Governance Group and its Global Human Rights Strengthening iForeword iiiAcknowledgements vAcronyms and Abbreviations xiIntroduction xiii Main objectives xiii For whom? xiii How to use? xiii Chapter 1: Minorities in Development: Making the Argument 1 How are minority issues important for development? 1 Why is it important for UNDP to address minority issues? 2 What steps can UNDP take to respond to minority issues? 3 PART ONE: MINORITY PROTECTION: CONCEPTUAL ISSUES AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND PRINCIPLES Chapter 2: Conceptual Issues 7 Who are Minorities ? 7 Numerical size and demographics 9 Old and new Minorities , citizens and non-citizens 9 Minorities and indigenous peoples 11 Diversity within minority groups 13 Minorities exist across borders 14 Chapter 3: Fundamental Rights and Principles 15 What are minority rights and minority protection?