The poorest communities in almost any region tend to be minority communities that have been targets of long-standing discrimination, exclusion and sometimes violence. 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 poverty 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. 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 decisions 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 effective 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.

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. 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. McDougall
United Nations Independent Expert on minority issues