Intervention presented by: Iurie Caldarari and Kandya Gisella Obezo Casseres 2012 OHCHR Minorities Fellowship Programme Mme Chairperson, Mme Independent Expert, Distinguished delegates and colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, Today we mark the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. This anniversary offers an important opportunity for young minority rights advocates to share their views on existing practices and raise awareness on the implementation of the Declaration. Article 2 of the Declaration states that persons belonging to minorities have the right to participate effectively in economic and public life. Furthermore, the Declaration highlights in its Article 4 that States should consider appropriate measures so that persons belonging to minorities may participate fully in the economic progress and development in their country. Nevertheless, when analysing the implementation of the Declaration, the Independent Expert on minority issues notes with concern, that in spite of existing legal standards ”some disadvantaged minority groups in all regions continue to face high and disproportionate levels of poverty and face discrimination and marginalization that impacts on their rights and opportunities in all fields of life, including participation in economic life.” Minorities are often the poorest of the poor and cannot participate in economic life on an equal footing with the majorities. This is not limited to a specific region or minority, but can be found all over the world, from the Roma in Europe to Afro-descendants in Latin America, groups on which we will focus. The European Commission in its April 2011 Communication stated that many Roma face discrimination and social exclusion, living in marginalised and very poor socio-economic conditions. A survey conducted in the 11 EU Member States shows that the socio-economic situation of the Roma is worse, on average, than the situation of the non-Roma living in close proximity. For instance only one out 10 Roma aged between 20 to 64 is reported as being in paid employment. Racism and structural discrimination also have a significant impact on the lives of people of African descent and their opportunities. People of African descent who represent between 20 and 30% of the population of Latin America, continue to experience high levels of poverty, social exclusion and discrimination. According to research conducted by UNDP, Afro-Latinos have access limited to participation in economic life. For example, women and young people are concentrated in low-paid occupations, such as unskilled and domestic work. In addition, they often work under conditions of informality, such as stationary traders, employees in irregular situations or simply unemployed. In most countries of the region, as reported by the independent expert on minorities, Gay McDougall, in his visit to Colombia in 2010, the legacy of slavery continues to be manifest in the social and economic marginalization faced by members of the Afro-descendant population. And despite the special measures that some countries have taken, we are still particularly vulnerable to the violation of our human rights, causing high levels of exclusion in terms of access to and enjoyment of socio-economic and development rights. Therefore, to address the multiple historical and structural reasons for exclusion that