A/HRC/30/56 opportunity to reach their full human potential and to contribute to the development of their own communities and society at large. 51. The segregation or ghettoization of people of African descent into low standards of housing and the lack of measures to support the development and improvement of poor housing conditions faced by people of African descent is a matter of grave concern to the Working Group. 52. The Working Group recognizes that women and girls of African descent face multiple, aggravated or intersecting forms of discrimination based on sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, social origin, property, birth, disability or other status. Such discrimination manifests itself in high rates of illiteracy, unemployment, lack of access to health services, quality education, landownership, drinking water and sanitation, and gender-based violence. 53. Judicial and administrative enforcement of human rights and the justiciability of economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, is crucial in ensuring that the rights to health, housing, employment, education, participation in development and all other rights are enjoyed by people of African descent. 54. The Working Group recognizes the good practices in some States, including initiatives aimed at guaranteeing participation of people of African descent in decision-making, data collection and development policies addressing concerns of people of African descent. B. Recommendations 55. The Working Group urges States to adopt measures, consistent with the Declaration on the Right to Development, aimed at guaranteeing active, free and meaningful participation of people of African descent in all political, economic, social and cultural aspects of society and in the advancement and economic development of their countries. States should promote a greater knowledge of and respect for their heritage and culture and ensure participation in development and decision-making, and in the fair distribution of benefits resulting therefrom. States should take measures to realize the right to development taking into account the need to redress historical injustices through development programmes. 56. The Working Group recommends that States take into account the linkages between enslavement and colonialism that leads to underdevelopment, and take the impact of this intersectionality into account in development policies. 57. The Working Group suggests that all agencies of the United Nations system, as well as other international development and financial institutions, monitor the situation of people of African descent and report on their status and implement the Guidance note of the Secretary-General on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities. 58. The Working Group encourages all human rights mechanisms of the United Nations, regional human rights bodies, national human rights institutions and civil society organizations to devote more attention to people of African descent in the implementation of their respective mandates. 59. The Working Group encourages Governments and international development and financial institutions to establish programmes, based on the participation of the communities concerned, aimed at improving the economic and social conditions of people of African descent. It also encourages Governments in the affected regions to use regional arrangements and organizations to address the effects of 12