Other relevant bodies in the United Nations system 65 for minorities. Programmes to support democratic governance therefore consider barriers to access and participation which minorities may face, and work to overcome them. Two key issues are minority access to justice and participation in governance. Crisis prevention and recovery Attention to minority issues is crucial for the long-term sustainability of peace and development, because minority identities can become a continuing focus of conflict. Historical patterns of minority exclusion that causes conflict may re-emerge if they are not adequately addressed, and minority inclusion helps create national stability. Practical Guide to Multilateral Needs Assessments in Post-Conflict Situations (United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, United Nations Development Group, 2004) identifies conflict factors which have roots in minority rights violations, such as unequal access to land and education, weak political participation and discrimination.72 Environment and energy for sustainable development The special relationship between indigenous peoples and the environment has been well documented. Often overlooked, however, is the impact of environmental and energy issues on minority groups and how the exclusion of minorities affects these sectors. The poor, who often correlate with minority groups, are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and lack of access to clean, affordable energy services. Minority regions may be disproportionately affected by environmental change and minority groups may find it more difficult to obtain relief during environmental disasters, due to discrimination or to their location in disproportionately underserviced areas. HIV/AIDS Minority groups are one of the key populations at higher risk of HIV/AIDS. Interventions for addressing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in minority groups must take a “social determinants of health” approach. Public policy responses may not be effective for minority populations if strategies are based on addressing risk factors characteristic only of majority populations and not adapted to minority cultural and social realities. Minorities living with HIV/AIDS may not enjoy equal access to health care because of discrimination in health-care services, lack of culturally appropriate health care or higher poverty levels that render retroviral treatment unaffordable. Infrastructure for medical services may be more limited in remote or impoverished areas where minorities are settled. Advocacy and partnership UNDP has an important role in the promotion of human development and human rights. UNDP publications such as national human development reports73 or MDG progress reports74 can raise awareness of gaps in human development for minorities and highlight good practices. Where national human development reports include disaggregated statistics it may encourage other actors to collect such data, which would enable minority groups to utilize them in their advocacy efforts. The launch of a human development report can provide the opportunity to begin dialogue with stakeholders on human development and governance issues of concern to minorities. For example, the regional report, At Risk: Roma and the Displaced in Southeast Europe,75 has been Available from www.conflictsensitivity.org/publications/practical-guide-multilateral-needs-assessments-postconflict-situations (accessed 2 December 2012). 72 Available from http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/ (accessed 2 December 2012). 73 Available from www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/mdg/mdg-reports/ (accessed 2 December 2012). 74 Available from http://europeandcis.undp.org/uploads/public/File/rbec_web/vgr/vuln_rep_all.pdf (accessed 2 December 2012). 75