A/HRC/16/46
orientation and gender identity or disability and their compounded negative impact
on the women and other groups concerned.
17.
Governments should ensure sufficient allocation of resources to implement
fully domestic and international standards on non-discrimination. This includes
sufficient resources for the development of indicators and benchmarks and for the
regular monitoring of direct and indirect discrimination in access to economic and
social rights.
18.
Governments should ensure that there are strong penalties that are rigorously
enforced for violation of laws on non-discrimination. Conversely, incentives for
compliance and good practice should be meaningful. Guidelines and examples of
positives practices should be easily accessible. Complaints mechanisms and remedies
for violations of the right to non-discrimination by public and private sector actors
and institutions should be equally accessible to persons belonging to minorities. Legal
aid schemes targeting minority groups should be provided to ensure protection of
their rights and access to justice.
19.
Public sector employees should be provided with training on nondiscrimination and cultural awareness in delivery of Government services. Access by
minorities to Government services can be improved, for example, through the
provision of services in minority languages, active outreach to minority communities,
and branch offices in regions where minorities predominantly live.
20.
Governments should gather, analyse and regularly publish disaggregated data
to measure and monitor the effective participation of minorities in economic life.
Improved data collection should be made a priority with regard to employment and
labour rights, poverty rates, access to social services, social security, credit and other
financial services, education, vocational training and land tenure rights. Data should
be benchmarked and disaggregated by, inter alia, ethnicity, language and religion,
and cross-tabulated by sex, age, disability and urban-rural and/or geographical
residence.
21.
Data should be gathered in a manner that is consistent with the right of
minorities to self-identification, using transparent methodology that is consistent with
international standards on privacy protections including, inter alia, informed consent
and adherence to ethical standards. The participation of minorities should be ensured
in all aspects of design of methodology and collection of data. The legislative
framework must provide for an effective data protection system to ensure that data
are not misused to violate the rights of minorities, especially of rights to safety and
freedom from violence. In this regard, better international standards and guidance for
data protection should be developed.
22.
Governments should value and protect the pursuit of traditional livelihood
practices by minority groups. Such practices frequently add value to the wider
economy but may face threats from environmental change, economic crisis or undue
restrictions on activities. Pastoralists, for example, should have special protection
measures for access to pasture and water; regional development initiatives could
enable transborder economic activity. Governments should develop legislation and
policies to promote the sustainability and welfare of pastoralist ways of life and
include pastoralists, particularly women, in the development of such policies.
Traditional craft industries could be afforded better market access through
technology and infrastructure support. Fisher peoples should participate in policy
decisions on the conservation of fish stocks and the protection of coastal regions and
rivers.
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