A/HRC/39/28 (b) States should create effective mechanisms to ensure the accountability of non-State actors, including business enterprises, involved in the development and implementation of public policy and other public decisions; (c) States should promote and commit to a culture of openness and transparency and consider, where applicable, joining the Open Government Partnership, an international network committed to making governments more open, accountable and responsive to the public. 24. States should empower rights holders to effectively exercise the right to participate in public affairs. (a) Civic education programmes should be developed and implemented as an integral part of school curricula, in both public and private institutions. Such programmes should be aimed at empowering rights holders, promoting a culture of participation and building agency within local communities; (b) Civic education programmes should include knowledge of human rights, the importance of participation for society, and an understanding of the electoral and political system and of various opportunities for participation, including available legislative, policy and institutional frameworks; (c) Targeted capacity-building and civic education programmes should be provided for individuals and groups that are marginalized or discriminated against, and should take into account specific challenges, such as illiteracy and language and cultural barriers, in order to empower them to be active participants in public life. This includes the adoption of measures promoting the engagement and collaboration of all relevant civil society actors, including the media, and community and religious leaders, to bring about a shift in the norms and values restricting the exercise of the right to participate in public affairs, especially for women. III. Dimensions of the right to participate in public affairs: forms and levels of participation A. Participation in elections 25. Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights highlights the role of periodic and genuine elections in ensuring that everyone is able to participate in the public affairs of his or her country. Article 25 (b) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights provides citizens with the right and the opportunity to vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections which are to be by universal and equal suffrage and are to be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors. Elections lie at the heart of democracy, and remain the primary means through which individuals exercise their right to participate in public affairs. 26. In addition to allowing rights holders to take part in the conduct of public affairs as voters or candidates for election, thereby permitting participation through chosen representatives, certain electoral processes enable direct participation, as in the case of referendums. Genuine electoral processes are also essential to ensure accountability of representatives for the exercise of the legislative or executive powers. 27. International law does not impose any particular electoral system and there is no “one size fits all” model or solution to guarantee successful electoral processes. States enjoy a large margin of appreciation in this context. However, genuine elections should be held in an environment of general respect for and the enjoyment of human rights, on an ongoing basis, without discrimination and without arbitrary or unreasonable restrictions. 28. ICTs may provide tools to improve participation in elections and enhance their transparency. States considering the introduction of technological innovations in order to improve participation in electoral processes should do so only after broad outreach and consultations with all stakeholders, as well as comprehensive and consultative feasibility 7