A/HRC/7/32 page 8 Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights, transnational corporations and other business enterprises had been presented. Also, the draft guiding principles should address the strengthening of the role of the poorest in humanitarian programmes, so that people living in extreme poverty are not simply passive beneficiaries of such programmes. 27. The International Federation of Social Workers commented that participation of the poor in “activities which concern them” is not only an example of the universal right to participation in public affairs but also a demonstration of respect for persons, families, groups and communities living in poverty. 28. Care International pointed out that participation as laid out in section 1 involves costs, particularly for the extreme poor. It also called for the inclusion of a text stating that civil society should be given the opportunity to represent the voice of the most marginalized and vulnerable people living in extreme poverty. Furthermore, it recommended making explicit mention of indigenous and tribal peoples, given their rights to participate and decide their own priorities for the process of development, as outlined in ILO Convention No. 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries. In paragraph 9, it recommended that the draft guiding principles address women’s economic security, eliminating violence against women and achieving gender equality in democratic governance. 29. HelpAge International and Sightsavers International proposed that the draft guiding principles should call on States to promote the participation of poor disabled persons and poor older persons in decision-making processes. 30. Light for the World suggested revising paragraph 7 as follows: “Persons living in extreme poverty have the right to participate in all activities which concern them, particularly full and effective inclusion in programmes for the eradication of extreme poverty …” B. Discrimination and stigmatization 31. The Government of Costa Rica expressed concern about paragraph 11, which could be interpreted as denying the impact that means of communication and education systems have on discrimination and stigmatization processes. 32. The Government of the Philippines noted that paragraph 12 could be expanded to include a statement on affirmative action. Affirmative action in this context could include integrating issues of rights and discrimination into education or instituting/strengthening systems of monitoring and accountability for media pertaining to these issues. 33. The Government of Switzerland noted that if discrimination of the poorest has impact on human rights, discrimination is also one of the major causes of extreme poverty. 34. The International Federation of Social Workers suggested that the draft guiding principles stress that certain outward appearance or certain types of behaviour, including theft, aggression or other forms of violence, do not exclusively characterize the poor or extremely poor. 35. The South African Human Rights Commission stated that though “discrimination affecting persons living in extreme poverty must be punished as a violation of human rights”