UNITED NATIONS • Forum on Minority Issues diversity and interculturalism among public administration staff, the adoption of positive measures to increase political participation of minorities and the allocation of sufficient resources to realize identified objectives. Minorities must be involved effectively in every step leading to the development and adoption of such a plan of action. 13. A specific mechanism or institutional procedure should be created to conduct a baseline survey and to monitor, on a regular basis, the progress achieved towards increasing effective minority participation. These data should be published regularly in an easily accessible format and discussed in public meetings with civil society. 14. Governments should regularly collect up-to-date data on the situation of persons belonging to minorities in order to monitor their effective and meaningful participation. Such data-gathering exercises should take place in a sensitive manner, proceeding through statistical or other operations on a voluntary basis, with full respect for the privacy and anonymity of the individuals concerned, in accordance with international standards of personal data protection, as well as on the basis of their self-identification as members of groups concerned. States should design methods of collection of such data in close cooperation with minorities. Wherever possible, representatives of the minorities concerned should be involved throughout the process of data collection. 15. At the national level, a proportional representation system or some other electoral design should be put in place, where practicable, to increase opportunities for minorities to participate effectively in State-wide political life. Conversely, Governments should not change the electoral system or electoral boundaries in a way that would be likely to weaken minority representation. 16. Where minorities are concentrated geographically, consideration should be given in appropriate circumstances to devolving power, creating autonomous or other sub-State divisions, or adopting other means to enable minorities to have a significant and direct impact on matters that directly affect them. Such solutions need not detract from overall State responsibilities, but might be based on the concept of “subsidiarity”, namely that decision-making should generally occur at the lowest level of government consistent with the goals to be attained. 17. Mechanisms for the effective political participation of minorities at the local and State levels should not result in the entrenchment of political power based on ethnicity, religion, language or similar factors, which may only heighten divisions within society. While it is essential to ensure minority participation at all levels, the representation of all relevant interests should not result in governmental gridlock or the over-politicization of ethnic or other minority identity. Access to meaningful political power should not be dependent on one’s status as a member of a minority. 18 Compilation of Recommendations of the First Four Sessions 2008 to 2011