E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.5/2001/2 page 16 4.5 States should consider appropriate measures so that persons belonging to minorities may participate fully in the economic progress and development of their country 71. There is often a risk that minorities, owing to their limited number compared to the majority and for other reasons, may be subjected to exclusion, marginalization or neglect. In the worst cases, the land and resources of minorities are taken over by the more powerful sectors of society, with consequent displacement and marginalization of persons belonging to the minorities. In other cases, persons belonging to minorities are neglected in the economic life of the society. Article 4.5 requires steps being taken to ensure that this does not happen. It should also prevent minorities being made into museum pieces by a misguided requirement that they remain at their traditional level of development while the members of the surrounding society experience significant improvements in their standard of living. 72. Article 4.5 calls for the integration of everyone in the overall economic development of society as a whole, while ensuring that this integration takes place in ways which make it possible for persons belonging to minorities to preserve their own identity. The balancing act required by these two separate aims can be difficult, but is facilitated by the existence of active and free associations of minorities which are fully consulted in regard to all development activities which affect or can affect their minority. Measures taken under article 2 to ensure participation facilitate this process. Article 5 5.1 National policies and programmes shall be planned and implemented with due regard for the legitimate interests of persons belonging to minorities 73. The participation of persons belonging to minorities in the economic progress and development of their country (art. 4.5) can be achieved only if their interests are taken into account in the planning and implementation of national policies and programmes. Their interests go beyond purely economic aspects, however. Planning of educational policy, health policy, public nutrition policy or housing and settlement policies are among the many aspects of social life in which the interests of the minorities should be taken into account. While the authorities are required to take only “legitimate” interests into account, this is no different from what is required in relation to majorities: an accountable Government should not promote “illegitimate interests” of any group, whether majority or minority. The interests of minorities should be given “due regard”, which means that they should be given reasonable weight compared with other legitimate interests that the Government has to take into consideration. 5.2 Programmes of cooperation and assistance among States should be planned and implemented with due regard for the legitimate interests of persons belonging to minorities 74. This provision is of particular interest for development assistance, but relates also to other economic cooperation among States, including trade and investment agreements. There have been many instances in the past where such cooperation has neglected or directly violated