I am Ashwini K.P UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Thank you very much for the Special Rapporteur on minorities for hosting this event and for inviting me to participate. I think that the focus on equality, social inclusion, and socioeconomic participation is timely and important. I appreciate the opportunity to provide a brief statement about socio-economic empowerment. The focus on migrants from minority groups is very pertinent and intersects with the scope of my mandate. As myself and my predecessors have consistently highlighted, ideologies of racial superiority and the structural and systemic racism that occurs through institutions and policies disproportionally impacts migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers, belonging to minority groups. The economic empowerment of migrants is very important to disrupting systemic racism and ensuring racial equality, as guaranteed under international human rights standards, including the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Economic empowerment, including access to the labour market and educational opportunities, can support the social integration of refugees and asylum seekers from minority groups and challenge racist stereotypes and stigmatisation. It can also bring significant economic benefits to host countries. Despite the benefits of economic empowerment, migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers from minority groups, all too often face differential access to decent work and educational opportunities as compared with nationals or citizens in host countries. States should, as highlighted in the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’s General Recommendation No. 29 remove obstacles that prevent the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by non-citizens, notably in the areas of education, housing, employment and health.