Promoting equal opportunities

The absence of equal opportunities leads to manifest discrimination and a violation of the rights of individuals. Negative income distribution is one of the forms taken by the lack of equal opportunities, both internationally and nationally.

An equal opportunities policy should involve adequate and additional measures to ensure that the group or sector suffering from discrimination enjoys conditions similar to those of the rest of the population. This duty lies with the State, and this is fully stipulated in international instruments.

In the sphere of international cooperation, there is a need for the clearer application of the concept of 'equal opportunities'. In many cases international cooperation has been paternalistic in nature, aims at solving a small or large passing problem, but does not tackle the underlying causes.