Priorities for the work of the Independent Expert and the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities 2012, para. 28
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The independent expert notes with concern that a number of States maintain national ideologies or policies that impose restrictive criteria relating to official recognition of minority status. This may result in approaches to human rights, socio-economic policy, development, and poverty reduction, for example, that may fail to recognize the distinct circumstances, problems and experiences, including experiences of discrimination and exclusion, of persons belonging to disadvantaged national, ethnic, religious and linguistic groups. Approaches which do not recognize minorities, or acknowledge that certain population groups may face distinct challenges, do not allow for the opportunity for key tools and resources for non-discrimination and equality to be employed, including the use of disaggregated data and affirmative action measures targeted towards disadvantaged minorities.