A/75/385 VII. Conclusions 71. Fifteen years ago, member States adopted the 2005 World Summit Outcome, recognizing that “the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities contribute to political and social stability and peace and enriches the cultural diversity and heritage of society”. 165 Development experts,166 conflict analysts167 and human rights monitors168 have continued to underscore the detrimental impact of minority rights violations on poverty reduction, democratic governance, environmental sustainability and conflict prevention. And globally, we witness how the failure to eliminate discrimination, combined with political marginalization and nationalist attacks on identities can propel trajectories of violence and even atrocity crimes. In turn, violent organized conflicts generate new inequalities and entrench existing structural disadvantages. 169 72. Reports received by the Special Rapporteur indicate that all too often the experiences of religious or belief minorities in civil, political, economic, social and cultural life are defined by the discriminatory features of the public institutions mandated to protect and serve their communities. The Special Rapporteur’s findings suggest that restrictions on freedom of religion or belief which disproportionately affect (a) particular religion or belief group(s) are targeted forms of discrimination that persecute minority communities. Such restrictions are often accompanied by other forms of discrimination in the enjoyment of other human rights and compounded by bias in state and non-state institutions and the absence of legislative frameworks to prevent or punish discrimination, hostility and violence based on religion or belief. Thus, in addition to restrictions on their civil and political rights, including freedom of religion or belief, religious or belief minorities often experience higher rates of poverty, lower educational achievements, poorer health outcomes, less political participation and high levels of violence. 73. Persons belonging to religious or belief groups who endure disadvantages or deprivations that limit their rights and opportunities relative to others in society constitute those that have been ‘left behind’. Their relative disadvantage is sustained by their exclusion, discrimination and/or entrenched inequalities that impede the ability of persons belonging to these groups from participating in society on an equal basis accessing the highest standards of education, obtaining land and property, technologies, acquiring wealth, and living healthier, longer, safer lives.170 74. Among the most important targets for the advancement of the SDGs are those that focus on the social inclusion of the world’s most marginalized populations. For individuals belonging to religious or belief minorities, inclusion in social, economic, cultural and political life requires the elimination of discrimination and intolerance based on religion or belief. Strategies for advancing the SDGs should take a broad approach in addressing economic and material needs while also addressing the sociocultural and political-legal institutions which perpetuate the structures of discrimination, including on the basis of religion or belief. 75. The right to freedom of religion or belief in international law aims to secure the background conditions for each person to exercise freedom to form and pursue their own religious or belief commitments. 171 This necessitates a prohibition on undue 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 18 A/RES/60/1, para. 130. Frances Stewart, Horizontal Inequalities and Conflict Understanding Group Violence in Multiethnic Societies (2008); http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2019.pdf. https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/documents/publications-andresources/Genocide_Framework%20of%20Analysis-English.pdf. See, Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, A/65/287; https://minorityrights.org/wpcontent/uploads/old-site-downloads/download-174-Minority-Rights-The-Key-to-ConflictPrevention.pdf. http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr2019_chapter2.pdf. https://olc.worldbank.org/system/files/Pathways%20for%20Peace%20Executive%20Summary.pdf. Art. 18; 1981 Declaration.