Guidance Note of the Secretary-General on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities  •  3 I. Introduction 1. Although principles of equality and non-discrimination are firmly rooted in binding international standards, racial discrimination and lack of adequate protection of minorities remain a widespread challenge in all regions of the world. In addition to being human rights imperatives, combating racial discrimination and protection of minorities are also key factors in the prevention of conflict, in conflict and post-conflict situations as well as in addressing development challenges, including poverty reduction, millennium development goals (MDGs) and environmental sustainability. The protection of minorities and combating racial discrimination thus affect all three pillars of the UN—security, development and human rights—and require system-wide, coordinated engagement. 2. This Note provides guidance for the UN system on how to address racial discrimination and protection of minorities in line with the UN Charter, Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other key standards, drawing from effective practices. It was developed within the framework of the UN Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, established by the Secretary-General during the 20th anniversary year of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities in 2012.1 3. The Note sets out guiding principles and framework for UN action with a view to ensuring a comprehensive and coherent UN approach from headquarters to regional and country presences. In doing so, the Guidance Note builds on other relevant Guidance Notes of the Secretary-General, such as those on Democracy, Statelessness and Constitution-making, as well as relevant Decisions of the Secretary-General, including on Human Rights and Development and on Human Rights in Integrated Missions. The Note does not aim to be exhaustive, but to highlight guiding principles and selected key areas of action for the UN system, and it complements more detailed tools that have been developed in selected sectors, including for addressing minority issues in development programming.2 II. Normative and conceptual foundations 4. The principles of equality and non-discrimination are embodied in the UN Charter, which underlines respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion. These principles have been further developed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in all core international human rights treaties, such as the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial 1 Coordinated by OHCHR, the Network enhances dialogue and cooperation between relevant UN Departments, Agencies, Programmes and Funds. By February 2013, 20 UN entities have joined the Network. 2 See, e.g., Marginalised Minorities in Development Programming: A UNDP Resource Guide and Toolkit, 2010.