64 PROMOTING AND PROTECTING MINORITY RIGHTS CHAPTER VI THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Summary: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the global development network of the United Nations, whose goal it is to assist countries in acquiring knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP works on the ground in 177 countries and territories, collaborating with Governments and people to find their own solutions to global and national development challenges. This chapter describes how the work of UNDP affects members of minorities and suggests several ways in which minorities might increase their participation in and better influence development processes and outcomes. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports States Members of the United Nations in developing national and local capacities for human development and in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, which world leaders have pledged to do by 2015.70 Capacity development cuts across its four key focus areas: democratic governance; poverty reduction and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals; crisis prevention and recovery; and environment and energy for sustainable development. In each of these areas, UNDP advocates for the advancement of human rights and the empowerment of women. It also promotes the efficiency and effectiveness of the United Nations system as a whole at the country level. Minorities in development programming There are ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities in all UNDP countries of operation and a strong link between minority issues and each of its key focus areas. Minorities are often poorer than other segments of a country’s population, are regularly affected by conflict, have less access to governance mechanisms, have higher HIV prevalence, and may suffer from higher levels of environmental degradation than exist elsewhere in the country. Increased attention to minority rights can help overcome obstacles to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. UNDP strives to strengthen national development plans by drawing attention to the negative impact of excluding minorities and the benefits of working to include minorities. UNDP recognizes that minority-based civil society organizations and its own employees who belong to minority groups bring valuable experiences, skills and knowledge to its work. UNDP thus strives to build diversity among its employees and invites minorities to become strategic partners and support it in achieving its development goals. Minorities and the UNDP focus areas Poverty reduction and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals UNDP supports Governments to ensure that minorities overcome poverty. It does this through improving capacity to monitor poverty reduction among minorities, facilitating the participation of minorities in designing poverty reduction strategies and advocating for improved human development among minority groups. It assists Governments to understand the particular challenges faced by minorities in reaching the Millennium Development Goals, and to put in place sound strategies – linked to minority rights protection – for overcoming such challenges.71 Democratic governance Mainstreaming minority issues strengthens the work of UNDP on democratic governance, since democratic institutions are less effective at ensuring equality in the absence of special protection See www.undp.org/mdg. 70 In the Republic of Moldova, for example, UNDP is working on human rights issues within the Millennium Development Goals through supporting Roma inclusion, reflected in the adoption of the 2012 Roma Inclusion Strategy. 71