A/69/266 international crime which entails the national and international responsibility of individual persons and States. According to article II of the Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group: (a) killing members of the group; (b) causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (d) imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; and (e) forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. 15. In 2004, the post of Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide was established with the principal objective of providing advice on actions to protect vulnerable populations from genocide. The Special Adviser identifies potential threats to populations at an early stage and makes recommendations for the more constructive management of cultural diversity issues. By resolution 60/1, the General Assembly adopted the 2005 World Summit Outcome, in which a principle of prime importance to the protection of minorities is established: the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. The responsibility to protect prioritizes diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means before force is contemplated. It recognizes, however, the duty of the international community to intervene to protect populations when their own Governments cannot or lack the will to do so. A Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect has been designated to lead the conceptual, political, institutional and operational development of the concept. IV. Factors that lead to vulnerability of minorities 16. While each situation is unique, there are many factors that can potentially lead to or heighten the vulnerability of minorities to violence. While space precludes a detailed analysis, highlighted below are some of the most frequent and important factors. A. Exclusion and inequalities 17. Gross inequalities and persistent poverty are frequently elements in the complex social, economic and geopolitical equations which lead to conflict and violence. Disadvantaged minority communities are frequently numerically s mall, politically and economically non-dominant and marginalized, and among the poorest in society. They are often poorly represented in government posts and law enforcement and justice bodies, so are rarely in a position to influence the decisions that affect them. They may be socially marginalized, inter alia, on the basis of their ethnicity or faith, their national origin and historical association with the country, their language, or perceptions of them as foreign or separatist. Such factors might contribute to an exclusionary ideology and can make minorities vulnerable to violence against which they are poorly equipped to respond. 18. Academic studies 6 point to linkages among a low growth rate, inequality and the higher chance of conflict in developing countries. The likelihood of unrest and __________________ 6 6/24 Paul Collier and Anke Hoeffler, “Greed and grievance in civil war”, Oxford Economic Papers, vol. 56, No. 4 (October 2004), pp. 563-595. Available from www.econ.nyu.edu/user/debraj/ Courses/Readings/CollierHoeffler.pdf. 14-58850