A/HRC/25/56 43. The United Nations system has increased its attention to minority issues. In 2012, the Secretary-General established the United Nations network on racial discrimination and the protection of minorities in Policy Committee decision No. 2012/4 of 6 March 2012. It aims to enhance dialogue and cooperation across the United Nations system. In the guidance note of the Secretary-General on racial discrimination and protection of minorities based on the network’s work, it is stated that: “efforts to improve sustainable human development and promote inclusion and stability are complemented and strengthened with better attention to the situation of minorities … participation of persons belonging to minorities is essential in the process of developing the post-2015 development agenda, with a view to ensuring that the resulting agenda advances non-discrimination and other human rights concerns of minorities.”13 44. United Nations Country teams supported 88 countries to convene national consultations on the post-2015 development agenda and hold forums to exchange ideas for a shared vision of “The World We Want”, in an open process tailored to country contexts.14 The national consultations made deliberate efforts to engage groups that generally do not participate in policy discussions. This global conversation responds to a growing call for active participation in the process and calls for the voices and issues of disadvantaged groups, including minorities, to be taken into account at every stage. Submissions to the Global Consultation on Addressing Inequalities were revealing and emphasized the extent to which globally ethnic and linguistic minorities face structural exclusion that limits integration into society. 45. The United Nations Development Group organized a set of eleven thematic consultations, on the themes of: conflict and fragility; education; environmental sustainability; governance; growth and employment; health; hunger, food and nutrition; inequalities; population dynamics; energy; and water. A report and preliminary findings were launched in March 2013. The following sections provide a brief discussion of minority issues in the context of each of these thematic areas. IV. Minorities in the context of specific areas of development consultation A. Inequalities 46. Tackling inequality stands out among the consultation areas as a cross-cutting and essential goal that should be at the heart of international and national development agendas. To make progress on this goal for disadvantaged minority groups and others means to create conditions of substantive equality for minorities, the challenges to which are a major barrier to development and human rights that minorities experience. A requirement for States to address inequality means that they must act clearly and directly to address the social exclusion, economic marginalization, poverty and discrimination facing minority communities. 13 14 12 Available from www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Minorities/GuidanceNoteRacialDiscriminationMinorities.pdf. See www.worldwewant2015.org/sitemap.