A/HRC/30/26 47. Australia stated that public service agencies were required to establish diversity programmes, including affirmative measures, to ensure that the diversity of the Australian community was reflected in strategies designed to attract, recruit and retain employees. The Republic of Korea uses a separate recruitment process for some underrepresented groups, while Poland indicated that if a recruitment process resulted in the shortlisting of a person with disabilities, she or he would be considered first. Paraguay and Turkey established, by law, a minimum quota of 5 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively, for the recruitment of persons with disabilities to public service positions. Uruguay has established a public employment programme with specific quotas for persons of African descent, persons with disabilities and transgender persons. D. Other forms of political and public participation 48. A number of States reported on citizens’ initiatives which, when supported by a certain number of signatories, can become legislative proposals to national or municipal institutions. Finland reported that the initiative on legislation on same-sex marriage was most successful, and was subsequently approved by Parliament in 2014. Ireland established a parliamentary online petitions system, which enables members of the public to take their policy concerns directly to Parliament and influence the parliamentary agenda. Some States, such as Poland, Switzerland, the United States of America and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, provide for recall elections, whereby a predefined minimum number of voters can trigger a referendum to remove an elected official from office before the end of his or her term. 49. In recent years, States have used information and communication technologies to promote more efficient service delivery and allow greater public access to information. In 2014, for the first time, all 193 Member States of the United Nations had national websites, which significantly increased transparency and access to information. The United Nations E-Government Survey 2014 ranked the Republic of Korea, Australia and Singapore as the countries with the most transparent and efficient e-Governments. 50. The rise of information and communication technologies has also affected the ways in which citizens perceive political participation and democracy.59 Online campaigns and protests organized through the Internet have provided new avenues for political mobilization. In Sierra Leone, election observers use mobile phones and the Internet to report irregularities during elections. Social media have often been cited as having played an important role during the 2011 uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East.60 E. Best practices relating to women and specific groups Women 51. States shared best practices on the integration of women in public decision-making. Bahrain established the Supreme Council for Women, which expresses views and makes decisions on issues relating to the status of women and implements programmes for the political empowerment of women. Mozambique involved women’s groups in the revision of its land policy framework, which contributed to the inclusion of important legal provisions to uphold gender equality.61 59 60 61 See contribution from OSCE-ODIHR, p. 9. A/HRC/27/33, para. 23; and A/HRC/17/27, para. 2. See contribution from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, p. 2. 13