A/HRC/30/26 Afghanistan and Jordan. Quotas work best when accompanied by sanctions if they are not respected and when they are closely monitored by independent bodies, including national electoral bodies and human rights institutions.48 Once elected, it is crucial that individuals belonging to marginalized groups have equal opportunity to exercise power and authority.49 This can be partly achieved through training in political debate and negotiation techniques and confidence-building measures.50 B. Participation in the conduct of public affairs 40. Full and effective participation in political and public affairs is best ensured when it rests on a solid legal basis. Hungary, Lithuania, Romania and Bulgaria have adopted laws on public participation, which require government officials to consult those affected and to take their views into consideration when making decisions. The Finnish Constitution states that public institutions must promote all possibilities for individuals to participate in social matters and to influence the decisions that affect them. In the Plurinational State of Bolivia, the 1994 Law of Popular Participation has enabled several initiatives emanating from the communities to translate into municipal public policies.51 41. Exercise of the right to participation further depends on transparency and on access to complete information. Information that is free of charge, relevant, up-to-date, understandable and made available well in advance of any participatory process enables individuals and communities to make informed choices.52 Poland has adopted several laws obliging State institutions to publish all draft laws and regulations that are being considered by the Government.53 In Greece, every municipality has the obligation to have an official website on which all decisions issued by the municipal organs are posted. In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Freedom of Information Act (2000) entitles any person to make a request for information to a public authority, which has to convey the information no later than 12 days following the date of receipt of the request.54 In some States, including Costa Rica, Estonia, Finland and France, access to the Internet is recognized as a right.55 The right to information is best guaranteed when it is made available in a manner accessible to the most disadvantaged, taking into account the constraints they suffer, including illiteracy, language barriers and the “digital divide”. In Argentina, indigenous peoples have dedicated radio and television stations, which broadcast information in their languages. 42. Several States have put in place consultative mechanisms which involve organizations of underrepresented groups in the development of legislation and policies. Georgia indicated that it also sought international expertise in that regard. Norway created a contact committee for immigrants and the authorities, which advises the Government on the views of persons with an immigrant background with regard to State policy. Bulgaria established an agency for persons with disabilities, which participates in the drafting of regulatory acts that affect them. The Czech Government has a number of advisory bodies (relating, for instance, to Roma, national minorities, gender equality and elderly people) 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 A/HRC/23/50, paras. 37–40. See International IDEA and Kofi Annan Foundation, Deepening Democracy: A strategy for improving the integrity of elections worldwide (Stockholm/Geneva, 2012) para. 65. See International IDEA, Overcoming Political Exclusion, p. 83 (see footnote 47). See contribution from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. A/HRC/23/36, paras. 60–64. Ibid., p. 23. See contribution from the European Centre for Not-for-Profit Law, p. 13. A/HRC/17/27, para. 65. 11