A/HRC/23/36 provided. Organizers must provide a secure, safe atmosphere. Participation procedures must allow for the full expression of the views of people living in poverty, in a timely manner and based on their full understanding of the issues involved, so that they may be able to affect the outcome.26 58. It is essential that societal and intra-community power relations are openly recognized and clarified27 at the start of the process, in order to confront the factors that often obstruct debates and prevent issues of inequality from being raised in decisionmaking arenas. Taking account of different kinds of power relations (visible, hidden and invisible) and the particular needs of marginalized groups, officials and advocates should take steps to ensure that such groups can organize their views, express them frankly and be heard. In order to ensure full substantive equality in enjoyment of the right to participation, where appropriate to enable full and free expression (particularly in very patriarchal or socially stratified communities), separate meetings should be held for excluded or vulnerable groups. For instance, in some communities it may be appropriate to separate participants by age group and sex. However, so as not to further entrench exclusion, the discussions should be brought together in a central plenary at critical moments so each group can share their analysis and actions. 28 Similarly, although power dynamics may necessitate separate meetings and processes for people living in poverty in order to facilitate their full participation and free expression, where appropriate, participatory mechanisms should include opportunities for members of different social groups to interact and share points of view. 59. The format and level of formality of the meeting must not be alienating or difficult to negotiate for people living in poverty. Organizers must allow sufficient time for participants to debate and seek consensus or common positions from which to develop representative and legitimate messages. The methodology of the process must not rely wholly on written materials, as this would exclude those who are illiterate or have poor reading skills. Instead, more inclusive and accessible methodologies should be used, including different media such as pictograms or theatre. Accessibility and adaptability requires that meetings should be conducted in the minority language appropriate to the community where necessary; if this is not possible, well-trained interpreters must be provided. C. Transparency and access to information 60. From a human rights perspective, effective access to public information is a precondition for exercising other human rights. Exercise of the right to participation depends on transparency and access to complete, up-to-date and comprehensible information. People must have the capacity and opportunity to use the information, understand their entitlements and be able to evaluate the quality of the services, policies or programmes in question. Transparency is essential to ensure rights holders are fully aware of the aims and scope of the process, the other actors involved and their role and level of influence. 61. Organizers should provide appropriately designed information and tools well in advance, so individuals can make informed choices at each stage of the participatory process. Information should not only be made available, but must conform to the principles of accessibility, acceptability and adaptability. This means information should be made 26 27 28 14 A/HRC/18/42, Annex para.8. Beresford and Hoban, Participation in Anti-poverty and Regeneration Work and Research, p. 34. ActionAid, People’s Action in Practice, p. 59.