A/HRC/15/37/Add.2 visited. Several community members with whom he spoke, both in open meetings with government presence and in more private settings, acknowledged some positive aspects of government development initiatives. But, overwhelmingly, community members expressed sentiments of exclusion from government decision-making processes on matters directly affecting their lives, including in relation to development initiatives, and many alleged they were discriminated against because of their ethnic identities. 27. Community members complained that development programmes were not in fact bringing markedly improved living conditions for the great majority of the people in their communities and that in many cases they saw their living conditions deteriorating. Many expressed frustration over a lack of respect for their cultures and languages in the design and implementation of development programmes, including in areas of health, education and income generation. Concern was also expressed about lack of access to traditional lands and impediments to, or outright prohibition of, traditional hunter-gatherer activities for basic subsistence. 28. The Special Rapporteur understands that members of local communities may be prone to highlighting the continuing challenges they face and criticizing the Government for its shortcomings rather than reflecting on its successes, and that he was able to visit but a small fraction of the many communities of Basarwa and other non-dominant tribes in Botswana. Nonetheless, he was struck by the apparent sincerity and consistency of the accounts he heard, and by the fact that these accounts are reinforced by information and analysis provided by respected non-governmental actors in Botswana and other credible sources, including those associated with international institutions such as the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. 29. The Special Rapporteur perceives the expressions of discontent by the local community members with whom he visited to be associated with three underlying, interrelated issues: respect for cultural diversity/identity, political participation and consultation, and redress for historical wrongs. A. Respect for cultural diversity 30. Botswana is a culturally diverse country with several distinct tribes or ethnic groups that are indigenous to the African continent, and the National Policy on Culture (2001) articulates objectives for the preservation and development of the diverse cultures of Botswana. There is significant Government support, through a number of programmes, for preserving aesthetic and folkloric aspects, such as song, dance and crafts, of the distinctive cultures of non-dominant indigenous groups. However, the cultural practices of these nondominant groups that are related to leadership and decision-making structures, development and land-use patterns remain in significant respects unrecognized or undervalued. Indeed, Government officials repeatedly stated to the Special Rapporteur that the Government places a high priority on “nation-building”, which includes consolidating a single national identity over the identities of diverse groups, and they appeared sceptical of any suggestion of robust recognition of distinct indigenous identities. 1. Development programmes 31. Government development programmes, including those specifically for the benefit of non-dominant indigenous communities, require greater accommodation to diverse cultural identities. As already noted, a primary poverty reduction strategy of the Remote Area Development Programme was the resettlement of remote dwellers into “remote area settlements” in order to facilitate the provision of social services. This practice failed to recognize the distinct cultural and land-use patterns of many of the indigenous communities it was intended to aid. This strategy of relocation remains a source of concern, and residents GE.10-13968 9