A/HRC/15/41 28. Administrative obstacles are another relevant concern. Lack of official documentation can prevent persons living in extreme poverty accessing crucial social services and jeopardizes the realization of their rights to work, education, health and social security, amongst others. 29. Lack of education and cultural obstacles can also isolate persons living in poverty. Lack of formal education, limited knowledge of official languages, lack of access to information about public policies and programmes and the entrenched stigmatization that often labels them as lazy, criminally minded or incompetent, further exclude persons living in poverty and hamper the realization of their rights and their access to services. 30. Extreme poverty is frequently related to political isolation. Persons living in extreme poverty often lack the possibility of exerting political influence, effective political representation and power. Several factors, such as the opportunity cost for participation, lack of information and often a feeling of powerlessness prevent them from actively participating in decision-making processes that affect them. 31. The situation of persons living in extreme poverty is further diminished by discrimination and stigmatization by civil servants (including public authorities, social workers, teachers and health-care providers) and private individuals, who often fail to recognize and support the efforts that persons living in extreme poverty are making to improve their lives. Those living in poverty often develop fear and hostility towards public authorities, and have little confidence in the institutions that should assist them. By generating a sense of shame, such stigmatization also actively discourages persons living in extreme poverty from approaching officials and accessing the support they need. 32. The situation of persons living in extreme poverty can be made worse by exposure to violence and limited access to public security and justice systems. The prevalence of violence in communities living in extreme poverty significantly limits their economic development. Limited access to justice and security may increase exposure to corruption and extortion, thereby aggravating their social and economic conditions. 33. Persons living in extreme poverty are also disproportionately affected by armed conflicts, health pandemics, natural disasters and climate change. They are, in general, less able to prepare for, adapt to and recover from crises. Often, in the case of conflicts, due to lack of resources they are unable to relocate to safe areas and are disproportionately affected by fighting and forced displacement. Attending badly constructed schools, working in overcrowded conditions, occupying lower quality housing in densely populated slums or flood areas, for example, places them at greater risk of losing homes, livelihood and life in the event of a natural disaster, or extreme weather occurrences due to climate change. They are forced to rely on coping mechanisms that can jeopardize their long term stability, for instance selling assets such as livestock and removing children from school to work. This makes their living conditions worse and exacerbates their poverty. V. Proposal for improving the draft guiding principles on extreme poverty and human rights 34. This section presents an annotated outline, divided into three sections detailing the views of the independent expert on how to improve the existing text of the draft guiding principles. It prioritizes those rights and policy guidelines that are particularly relevant in the context of extreme poverty. Rather than comprehensively describing the scope and content of each principle and right, it aims to identify the specific obstacles faced by persons living in extreme poverty and provide examples of measures that States should take to overcome those obstacles and ensure that those living in extreme poverty are able to enjoy their rights. 8