Meaningful progress towards sustainable human development, inclusion and stability can be better achieved through measures that promote and protect human rights and ensure effective 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. 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 reference document for other UN agencies, multilateral organizations, government counterparts and institutions, and civil society organizations.

The 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. 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 Guide.

Second, 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 rights.

This 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 Minorities.

Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi Practice Director, Democratic Governance Group Bureau for Development Policy UNDP	Marcia V.J. Kran Director, Research and Right to Development Division UNOHCHR