A/HRC/10/66 page 15 90. Ms. Sahli recommended strengthening cooperation and partnerships with civil society representatives, schools, the media, and specialized agencies, particularly UNESCO and UNICEF while addressing the issue of discrimination faced by children of African descent and in data collection regarding access to education, in order to monitor and evaluate legislation and elaborate educational policies. Ms Sahli mentioned that the inevitable effect of exclusion from education is exclusion from the labour market. 91. The Chairperson opened the floor for discussion. 92. A comment was made regarding the fact that with far fewer resources and facing enormous problems of poverty some developing countries still ensured a quality education for all. Another participant mentioned that without education, people are impeded from accessing employment. Redressing the existing imbalance, as regards the opportunities that life offers, without the full recognition of the right to education is thus impossible. There are a large number of human rights problems that cannot be solved unless the right to education is addressed as it is the key to unlocking other human rights. 93. Other commentators highlighted the fact that literacy is at the heart of all subsequent education, training and learning and that literacy is essential for sustainable development. The commentator stressed the urgent need for the elimination of illiteracy. In this regard, literacy is a precondition of effective social participation and a tool of empowerment at individual and community levels. 94. There was also mention of the importance of access for all to free primary education and strengthening access to higher education through national programmes, including affirmative action policies. In this regard, political will is essential in order to implement effective measures. 95. An observed noted that more teachers of African descent need to be integrated into educational systems as they are also role models and can help children to preserve their identity. It was pointed out that the concept of multi-vulnerability should be used with caution; for instance poor children of African descent do not face the same problem as other poor children - a fact that reveals that the colour of their skin is the determining factor. 96. It was pointed out that multicultural education should start as early as possible, including in kindergarten and pre-school curricula, and that education should preserve children’s identity and cultural values. Access to health for children of African descent 97. Ms. Biswas, expert of the Working Group made a presentation on access to healthcare for children of African descent. She pointed out that unequal access to healthcare services has a detrimental impact on children. Lower birth weight and higher birth mortality are experienced by people of African descent in developed countries. They suffer disproportionally from mental diseases, chronic physical illness, stressful life events, poverty, single parenthood, abuse or neglect, family discord and depression. Factors such as inadequate resources, lack of a sufficient number of schools, violence in the community and poor housing in what amount to segregated