70 PROMOTING AND PROTECTING MINORITY RIGHTS In many situations, minorities and indigenous peoples who have specific ties to land are disproportionately affected by conflict, and their forced displacement may even lead to the extinction of entire groups. At the same time, their presence in remote or border areas poses challenges for their effective registration and access to the refugee protection regime. Minorities affected by forced displacement are commonly not aware of their right to seek asylum, and frequently seek protection within their kin communities across the border. In consequence, they often do not have access to effective protection due to their geographic location and/or language barriers. The farther indigenous peoples move from their ancestral lands, the more obstacles they encounter to exercising their fundamental individual and collective rights, a situation that sometimes threatens their survival as a people. Partnership with civil society UNHCR believes that partnerships are the best means of ensuring that persons of concern, especially minorities, are protected. One of its main priorities is working with civil society partners around the world. More than 75 per cent of the civil society organizations with which UNHCR works are local organizations which provide expertise and are able to become operational immediately in an emergency situation.78 UNHCR will generally formalize a partnership through a project agreement and memorandum of understanding (MOU). UNHCR works with both implementing and operational partners. An implementing partner is an entity with which UNHCR enters into a subagreement to implement a project on a contractual basis for the benefit of persons of concern. An operational partner is an entity whose work is complementary to that of UNHCR and which may be assisting the same populations of concern or working towards the same goals; however, it does not receive funds from UNHCR for that purpose. An example of an operational partner is the World Food Programme, which distributes food to persons of concern in certain locations. Contacts and further information UNHCR is based in Geneva and has offices in most countries. For further information, contact: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Case Postale 2500 CH-1211 Geneva 2 Switzerland Tel. 41 22) 739 81 11 Fax: 41 22) 739 73 77 E-mail: webmaster@unhcr.org Website: www.unhcr.org Another leading source of information is the extensive Refworld database (see annex II), selected and compiled from the global network of UNHCR. UNHCR has developed resource materials to guide Governments and civil society on addressing statelessness.79 A useful resource is: L. van Waas, Nationality Matters: Statelessness under International Law (Intersentia, 2009). Further information and resources on forming civil society partnerships are available from www.unhcr.org/ pages/49c3646c296.html (accessed 2 December 2012). 78 See www.unhcr.org/statelessness. 79