A/76/162
Commissioner for Human Rights urgently calling for data on the exclusion of
Afrodescendants facing systemic discrimination in different areas, including education.
66. Given the lack of focus on minorities under Goal 4 measures and indicators, and
to a lesser degree the diminished attention paid to indigenous peoples who sometimes
face some of the same discriminatory factors, it is hard to see how the 2030 Agenda
can make much significant leeway when there is no focus, measure or indicator to
assess progress or increased exclusion for minorities, as one of the main groups facing
“the worst discrimination” in education.
Economic development
67. The 2030 Agenda presents a vision of development as the cornerstone to end
poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
Globally, however, data show that certain minorities and indigenous peoples often do
not equally enjoy peace and prosperity. Indeed, a recent United Nations/World Bank
Group report appears to demonstrate the opposite: economic exclusion of minorities
and indigenous groups from development initiatives and the benefits of development
can be a leading contributing factor to violent conflict, since “many of today’s violent
conflicts relate to group-based grievances arising from inequality, exclusion, and
feelings of injustice … It is when an aggrieved group assigns blame to others or to
the state for its perceived economic, political, or social exclusion that its grievances
may become politicized and risk tipping into violence”. 45
68. The premise and promise of the Sustainable Development Goals, therefore, are
eminently commendable – except for the aforementioned flaw of not sufficiently
focusing on the “equality” of development by discarding the need for any measure or
indicator to assess how minorities are treated in development initiatives or whether
they are unreasonably treated or left out of the benefits of econ omic development.
69. Development, even if aimed at “poverty alleviation”, does not lead to peace if
people cannot equally reap its benefits. Indeed, prosperity without justice, or
discriminatory development, particularly where groups such as minorities an d
indigenous peoples are excluded, is one of today’s main causes of violent conflicts.
In numerous cases, development without consideration of the impact on minorities
and indigenous peoples can occur on the back of breaches of their human rights. It
would be naive to assume that “all development is good development”: history is
replete with examples of “progress and development” occurring on the back of
slavery, brutality and even genocide – usually of minorities or indigenous peoples.
Unfortunately, development that disregards the human rights of minorities and
indigenous peoples is not a thing of the past.
70. In Italy, a violent separatist movement emerged in the mainly German -speaking
northern region of the country in the 1960s. This emerged mainly over claims of
exclusion and discrimination flowing from the development and power reduction
measures after the Second World War, such as the building of hydroelectrical power
dams and other industrialization initiatives, which mainly benefited migrant workers
brought in from other parts of Italy and not the local minority population. This, as
well as claims that the German-speaking minority was excluded from employment
and other opportunities by the language policies of the Government of Italy,
eventually resulted in violence and the assassination of a dozen Italian soldiers and
police. Eventually, peace and prosperity were achieved in the region, but only after
negotiations resulted in a territorial autonomy arrangement which led to the
recognition of a number of language rights, effectively granted the minority a higher
__________________
45
21-09902
United Nations and World Bank, Pathways for Peace: Inclusive Approaches to Preventing
Violent Conflict (Washington, D.C., World Bank, 2018).
17/22