A/HRC/28/76 (f) Transparency: Governments and humanitarian partners, both national and international, must be transparent about all information and decision-making processes relating to rights. Decision-makers wanting to manage emergency situations, however, sometimes do not disclose certain information relevant to disaster mitigation. Governments, should, in principle, disseminate all relevant information to the general public. Information should not be distorted to prevent social panic. It is indeed foreseeable that, in the process of disseminating information, some simplification would be not only inevitable but even necessary. It is important to highlight, however, that, in such circumstances, such government initiatives and accountability require records to be kept of the decision-making process; (g) Do no harm or do less harm: although aid can become part of the dynamics of a conflict and may even prolong it, humanitarian organizations must strive to “do no harm” or to minimize the harm they may be inadvertently doing simply by being present and providing assistance.34 41. In the programme for reform (1997),35 and its second phase, an agenda for further change (2001),36 the Secretary-General called upon United Nations agencies to make human rights a cross-cutting priority for the United Nations system. In 2003, a group of United Nations agencies, including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), committed to integrating human rights into their national development cooperation programmes by adopting a common understanding on a rights-based approach.37 In November 2013, the Secretary-General launched the “Human Rights Up Front” initiative, which aims at improving the United Nations response to safeguard human rights in complex crises and prevent horrendous human suffering. The need for early action, and the crucial role of responding early to human rights violations, is at the heart of the initiative. Though framed in terms of the protection of human rights, it also includes the task of protection of civilians, with the importance of preventive efforts being consistently emphasized. Another central aspect is better organizational preparedness by the United Nations. The Secretariat and United Nations agencies, funds and programmes are to ensure that the United Nations System, both on the ground and at Headquarters, is appropriately prepared – early on – to deal with evolving crisis situations. 42. There seems to be a cyclic process between human rights violations, humanitarian crises and humanitarian response. Although this cyclic dynamic is not necessarily a lineal process, some stages have been identified, both for conflicts and natural disasters. According to OHCHR, when human rights violations are a consequence of conflict situations, the sequence of events is as follows: 34 35 36 37 38 12 (a) Human rights violations as causes of conflict; (b) Humanitarian crisis; (c) New violations: consequences of conflict and humanitarian crises; (d) Pre-existing human rights issues are exacerbated; (e) Human rights promotion and protection as objective of peace agreements.38 The “do no harm” principle, developed by Mary B. Anderson in the 1990’s, has developed into an approach, inspiring a series of training workshops for humanitarian workers. A/51/950. A/57/387 and Corr.1. UNFPA, “The Human Rights-Based Approach”, available at www.unfpa.org/rights/approaches.htm. See OHCHR, International Legal Protection of Human Rights in Armed Conflict (New York and Geneva, 2011).