A/HRC/34/68 Planning and preparedness 36. States should, with the effective participation of communities at risk, develop effective and adequate disaster risk prevention programmes. Such programmes should include measures to enhance the preparedness of potentially affected populations and should explicitly address the specific needs of minorities and other vulnerable populations. 37. States, the United Nations and other humanitarian and development actors should proactively collaborate with minority communities, including particularly excluded minorities such as those living in remote areas or in marginalized urban areas (e.g. in slums) or those who may be stateless or at risk of statelessness. They should work together to develop risk assessments and contingency plans to ensure that such communities will receive aid appropriate to their needs if a crisis materializes. Keeping in mind the do-noharm principle, the United Nations and other international actors should be careful not to put certain communities at risk for collaborating with them, particularly in situations where certain minorities may be targeted by a State or an armed group. 38. States should ensure that, as part of its disaster risk prevention programme, the critical role of local authorities and local civil protection institutions as first responders for minorities is acknowledged and supported with adequate resources and specific training. 39. Local authorities should work together with minority communities to develop and implement efficient and trusted communications tools and consultation mechanisms in order to ensure effective two-way communication of information if and when a crisis occurs. Such tools can also be instrumental for early warning. 40. States should create an enabling environment for civil society organizations to independently monitor the situation of minorities in the given country, including by ensuring their unfettered access to all regions and communities. 41. States, through their local authorities, should implement a community-based approach when planning humanitarian action with a view to creating real partnerships by making initial contact with minority communities and supporting community participation at an early stage.10 42. The international community should increase its solidarity efforts before crises occur, by supporting national humanitarian response capacities in other States, both bilaterally and through regional and international organizations, including through training on international minority protection frameworks and technical assistance and strengthening national protection and response mechanisms for minorities in crisis situations. 43. The United Nations and other humanitarian and development actors should systematically conduct research on the situation of minorities, evaluate their needs and capacities and assist them in voicing their concerns in order to prepare risk assessments ahead of potential crises and improve minorities’ preparedness for such crises. On this basis, the United Nations and other humanitarian actors should carry out advocacy with national authorities to encourage them to specifically address the situation of minorities and increase their preparedness for potential crises. 44. The United Nations and other humanitarian and development actors should raise awareness among minority populations at risk of displacement about the possibility and the potential benefits of sharing their concerns with national entities, such as national human rights institutions, and with international organizations. 10 8 For concrete guidance, see UNHCR, A Community-based Approach in UNHCR Operations (January 2008).