United Nations Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems 11 limited to, the elderly, minorities, persons with disabilities, persons with mental illnesses, persons living with HIV and other serious contagious diseases, drug users, indigenous and aboriginal people, stateless persons, asylum seekers, foreign citizens, migrants and migrant workers, refugees and internally displaced persons. Such measures should address the special needs of those groups, including gender‑sensitive and age-appropriate measures. 33. States should also ensure that legal aid is provided to persons living in rural, remote and economically and socially disadvantaged areas and to per‑ sons who are members of economically and socially disadvantaged groups. Principle 11. Legal aid in the best interests of the child 34. In all legal aid decisions affecting children,15 the best interests of the child should be the primary consideration. 35. Legal aid provided to children should be prioritized, in the best inter‑ ests of the child, and be accessible, age‑appropriate, multidisciplinary, effective and responsive to the specific legal and social needs of children. Principle 12. Independence and protection of legal aid providers 36. States should ensure that legal aid providers are able to carry out their work effectively, freely and independently. In particular, States should ensure that legal aid providers are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference; are able to travel, to consult and meet with their clients freely and in full confidentiality both within their own country and abroad, and to freely access prosecution and other relevant files; and do not suffer, and are not threatened with, prosecution or administrative, economic or other sanctions for any action taken in accordance with recognized professional duties, standards and ethics. 15 “Child” shall mean any person under 18 years of age, in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.