A/HRC/39/51 tertiary education.26 Poverty, leading to a lack of access to education, leading to poverty, forms a vicious circle, ultimately resulting in exclusion from development. 19. United Nation agencies 27 have pointed out that widespread inequalities are also evident with regard to the impact of natural disasters and environmental hazards on different populations, resulting in further disadvantaging of people who are already disproportionately dependent on the environment for their livelihoods. Climate instability and extreme weather events tend to have the greatest impact on those with the least resources, including women and girls. Imbalances in access to natural resources are often worsened by insecurity of land tenure, including the lack of recognition of collective tenure for rural communities — affecting indigenous peoples — and of equal inheritance rights and their practical implementation, especially among women. IV. The right to development, and inequality 20. Why do inequalities matter for the right to development in particular? As demonstrated above, inequality threatens long-term social and economic development and impedes poverty reduction. More notably, inequality has an impact on the ability of individuals and communities to participate in, contribute to and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development. Inequality is therefore a major obstacle to the realization of the right to development within and across countries. 21. In his fourth report (E/CN.4/2002/WG.18/2), the former Independent Expert on the right to development, discussed the fundamental human rights principles of equality and non-discrimination and their link to the right to development. He concluded that, when the fulfilment of economic, social and cultural rights requires the availability of and access to goods and services, then equality in rights implies equality in accessing these goods and services, i.e. equality of opportunity (ibid., para. 27). He also noted that “equality is essential to any programme aimed at implementing human rights, such as the right to development” and that development policies and measures have to be implemented in a way that either reduces income inequality or, at a minimum, does not allow any increase in inequality (ibid., para. 28). He further emphasized that “there cannot be any discrimination between the agents, the stakeholders and the beneficiaries (the right holders) on any ground” (ibid., para. 29). 22. In the same report, the Independent Expert discussed the relationship between equality and the principle of participation, according to which all beneficiaries and agents involved in the implementation of the right to development are entitled to participate in, contribute to and enjoy the results of the process of development. He concluded that: the principle of participation was concerned with access to decision-making and the exercise of power in the execution of projects that led up to the programme for development; citizens needed to be empowered and have ownership over the programme; and, while there was no unique model of participation, “for each project special provisions have to be drawn up and implemented in order to ensure such participation” (ibid., para. 30). 23. These conclusions resonate very closely with the recommendations put forward during the regional consultations on the practical implementation of the right to development organized by the Special Rapporteur, where participants focused on one overarching theme — namely the importance of establishing meaningful participation of all relevant stakeholders in the decision-making process, including communities, nongovernmental and grass-roots organizations, women, youth, minorities, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups. Participation should be central in all development-related processes, at the local, national and international levels. The call to ensure genuine participation is consistent with the vision contained in the Declaration on the Right to Development, which acknowledges the right of every person and community to 26 27 Eurostat, “Sustainable development in the European Union”, p. 35. Technical Support Team, “TST issues brief: Promoting equality, including social equity”, pp. 1–2. Available at https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/2406TST%20 Issues%20Brief%20on%20Promoting%20Equality_FINAL.pdf. 9