A/HRC/38/42 analysis of vulnerability must distinguish between the conditions that diminish an individual’s or a group’s capacity to cope with hazard, from the multiple and creative ways that individuals and groups usually develop to resist it, despite their very limited options and resources. 74. Persons may live in conditions of vulnerability, but they themselves should not be considered as lacking agency in facing those same conditions. In fact, policies for tackling vulnerability should take into consideration the ways through which individuals and groups face vulnerability. 75. Having said this, and reaffirming that the impact of leprosy and leprosy-related discrimination is proportional to the degree of vulnerability experienced by persons affected, it is mandatory to develop tools to assess vulnerability and the means to tackle it. 76. One important tool is the framework provided by the Sustainable Development Goals. Such a framework may be of great help in developing an intersectoral governance that might avoid duplicity of actions, as well as enhance efficiency, effectiveness and efficacy. In fact, many of the areas of action outlined by the Goals are key in tackling leprosy-related vulnerability and discrimination, such as poverty, hunger, good health and well-being, education, gender, clean water and sanitation, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, and sustainable cities and communities. 77. Intersectorality is key in decreasing vulnerability to leprosy and leprosy-related discrimination. Moreover, in order to strengthen the intersectoral approach, the implementation of the principles and guidelines should be allied with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 78. Historically, leprosy became a symbol for exclusion. Recognition by the United Nations of leprosy as a human rights issue has, however, closed that dark chapter of history. Such recognition will advocate for inclusiveness and participation. Being a cross-cutting issue, leprosy can be used as a model for the accomplishment of sustainable development and as a symbol of the reinforcement of human rights. Notably, the international community, civil society and other relevant stakeholders have obligations to keep individuals affected by leprosy and their family members high on the 2030 Agenda. If, by 2030, persons affected by leprosy and their family members have not been left behind, the long-standing issues of social exclusion and invisibility that affect a substantive segment of the population will have been addressed. Participation and lay expertise 79. Participation is key for the long-term elimination of leprosy-related discrimination and for a sustainable inclusion of the affected persons and their family members. 80. Participation is multidimensional and includes the elements of representative democracy (the right to vote, to be elected and to hold public office), participatory democracy (elaboration, execution, monitoring and accountability in policymaking), nongovernmental organizations and communities (decision-making) and epistemic communities (participation in the production of knowledge), among others. 81. Participation is thus not restricted to the macrospace of the State. It is also interrelated with all human rights, since it is not possible to participate in society at large without enjoying the rights to freedom, work, health, education, a dignified life, freedom of expression and information, among others. Without the fulfilment of human rights, participation becomes a mere formality. In turn, without participation, human rights becomes questionable. 82. For the present purposes, participation is understood as: (a) equal opportunities to participate and enjoy civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and, when applicable, collective rights;52 (b) the right to participate in all decision-making processes that might have an impact on the lives of persons affected by leprosy and their family 52 For instance, the right to memory is liable to be treated as a collective right of persons affected by leprosy, who were forcibly segregated from their families, communities and society. 15