A/HRC/4/9 page 7 I. MINORITIES, POVERTY AND THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: ASSESSING GLOBAL ISSUES 16. On Human Rights Day (10 December 2006) the Independent Expert was among the 37 Special Procedures mandate holders who issued a statement highlighting the urgent need to address the persistent poverty trapping many millions of people globally, as a grave human rights challenge. This statement made clear that “Poverty is part of a vicious cycle of marginalization, social exclusion and discrimination … often a cause, as well as a result, of a complex system of human rights denials.” 17. In her initial report the Independent Expert states: “Minority groups that face widespread discrimination or exclusion are much more likely than other groups to be impoverished. […] The poorest communities in almost any region tend to be minority communities that have been targets of long-standing discrimination, violence or exclusion. As such, 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 that community as a whole. And efforts to reduce poverty are essential to larger efforts to promote the full range of civil, political, social and economic rights for minority communities. 18. “Poverty in this context involves more than just a lack of income or a daily struggle for basic sustenance. Poor communities are generally less able to participate effectively in political decision-making or to access mechanisms of justice when their rights are violated. They suffer from unequal access to education, health care, employment and land. Without a targeted focus on their needs and rights, they will remain disproportionately impoverished. And without a more coherent effort to reduce poverty through targeted strategies that specifically reach out to minority communities, the international community will fail to achieve, or sustain, the important targets set within the Millennium Development Goals …” (E/CN.4/2006/74, paras. 64-65). 19. The Independent Expert approaches the issue of poverty using the same four-point framework she has identified for the general protection of minority rights: protecting a minority’s existence, including the physical integrity of persons belonging to minorities; protecting and promoting cultural and social identity; ensuring non-discrimination and equality, including ending structural or systemic discrimination; and ensuring effective participation of minorities in public life, especially in decisions that affect them. 20. The Independent Expert has conducted dedicated research on minorities and poverty-reduction strategies. She has received information from and consulted with a wide variety of expert sources, including States, development agencies, international financial institutions, United Nations agencies, and minorities themselves. She commissioned a survey and review of 50 MDG Country Reports and selected PRSPs, which are contained in addendum 1 to the present report (A/HRC/4/9/Add.1). MDG Country Reports and PRSPs offer a useful starting point for reflecting on cross-regional practice in integrating minorities positively into development processes. 21. The Independent Expert reiterates that in using the term “minorities”, the focus of her work is on distinct groups that have faced long-term discrimination and disadvantage on the basis of identity as national, ethnic, religious or linguistic groups. Under her mandate “minority” status is not defined by numerical factors alone. She acknowledges that distinct groups that are