14th session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues Item 2 Speaker: Ms. Mays Al-Juboori Madam Chair, Evidence gathered by Minority Rights Group in settings as varied as Cameroon, Colombia, Russia, India and Zimbabwe, indicates that patterns of discrimination and exclusion repeatedly cause or stimulate tensions that can lead to or exacerbate violence and conflict. Socio-economic and political marginalisation of minorities can create cycles of deprivation, that increase minority insecurity and exposure to violence. In Somalia, clan-based, and unequal allocation of power has perpetuated a strong sense of grievance amongst minorities, which is exploited for recruitment by armed groups. In Afghanistan, persistent and systematic social discrimination and insufficient minority representation have resulted in weak protection structures, exposing Shi’a Hazaras to targeted persecution. These conditions have revealed inequalities that leave minority women and people with disabilities particularly vulnerable in conflict. On top of existing tensions, the insecurity linked to the collapse of the Afghan economy currently risks further grave consequences for the Hazara community, alongside Sikhs, Hindus, and other marginalised minorities. Finally, even in contexts where conflict is abating, a lack of access to legal remedies for crimes against minorities is a further contributor to renewed conflict. In Iraq, injustice and weak rule of law has increased minority sentiments of alienation and contributed to the continuum of violence experienced by minority women. Without acknowledgment, justice and reparation, atrocities can live on in the collective memories of communities and eventually re-emerge through renewed violence. To minimise and prevent conflict, MRG recommends the following: - Steps should be taken to eliminate discrimination in social, economic, and public life, and promote the socio-economic development and political participation of marginalised minority groups. Abuses or injustices against minorities should also be recognised, addressed, and remedied without bias. I thank you.