craft paragraph 19, 20, 35 and 47 and 50, 19, 20, 35 and 4 if necessary because the other
paragraphs which are talking of reduction of poverty not eradiction of poverty.
Having given those 2 main points let me now go into the specific comments on paragraph, there are
paragraphs which invite comments which the office of the independent expert on minority issues
might wish to consider in the process of coming out with the final draft of the recommendations.
Madam Chair we have made comments on 15 paragraphs, thsese are paragraphs, 14, 15, 17, 18,
21, 22, 24, 27, 28, 31, 37, 44, 48, 49, 52. Madam Chair as time is of essence it would not be
possible to go over all these paragraphs, I would just comment on some. I see I have only 4 minutes
left and then I will provide the paper to the organisers. The first one is paragraph 14, Madam Chair
is on multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination. Here is the basis given are sex, age and a
disability. We are advising that maybe there is a need for adding religion is well, because religion is
an important matter which can also be a basis. Madam Chair paragraph 17 is on the root causes of
discrimination , here in paragraph 17 states are called upon to collect data on minorities and it says in
the process that they might get the roots causes, we are agruing that they might get the state of affairs
but not the root causes and therefore there is a need for a separate paragraph for research, so as to
go to the root causes of the problems of minorities. Another problem, another area which I may look
at is on paragraph 22, paragraph 22 is on the compensation for lands of minorities which is taken
also they divide between urban and rural area, when it comes to wages. We are suggesting that there
should not be a difference between rural and urban in compensation, and that compensation should
be on commerical rate and should be prompt. Madam Chair on paragraph 37, on civil society, here
there is a major point missed, in most developing countries legal aid is provided by civil society and
not by government. And therefore this paragraph 37 should capture the need for civil society to
spearhead the issue of providing legal aid and assistance to the minorities. Paragraph 44 on coporate
social responsibility, I think we know of corporations who take millions and give back mosquito nets
and so on , we need to be more serious about corporate social responsibility, they should go to the
heart of the matter and assist the poor. On the voluntary fund paragraph 48 we are arguing that this
government should be asked to contribute to this voluntary fund to assist minorities and also part of
this funds should be used to enable minorities to come to bodies like this that there are minorities that
can't make it to Geneva, these funds should be used to enable these groups to be able to come and
express themselves, in meetings like this. On international financial institutions, Madam Chair, we are
saying that these institutions which funds big projects like dams, hydroelectric plants and so on , they
should be careful about what will happen to minorities whose lands are flooded by these dams and
so on. Lastly developing agencies, paragraph 52, I think they should be more friendlier, more
conscious and appreciating issues of minorities.
Madam Chairperson because of time I would like to stop there, thank you very much.