36 Why it should be done Among the most effective measures for increasing the participation of minorities in public life, including in the electoral or political sphere, is for authorities to use minority languages where practicable. Positive results obtained include higher voting rates, increased presence in elected bodies and involvement in political life, and an overall greater sense of identification with the state. Integration in public life is positively affected when minority languages are used according to the proportionality principle. Conversely, preventing the use of minority languages in the political sphere by political parties, NGOs or private individuals has at times led to feelings of alienation and rejection. The evidence also suggests that language proficiency requirements in elections are not only possibly discriminatory, but also tend to weaken the participation of minorities in elections and public affairs. It is clear that measures and mechanisms to ensure the effective participation of minorities in public life, including steps to remove obstacles, lead to increased levels of integration within the state. On what legally binding and other basis? • Arts 25, 26, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (United Nations) • Art. 5(c), International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (United Nations) • Art. 14 + Art. 3 of Protocol No. 11, European Convention on Human Rights (Council of Europe) • Arts 4 & 10, Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Council of Europe) • Art. 10, European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (Council of Europe) • Art. 2 (2) & (3), Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (United Nations) • Rec. 11 & 15, Guidance Note of the UN Secretary-General on Racial Discrimination and the Protection of Minorities (2013) • Rec. 13, Oslo Recommendations regarding the Linguistic Rights of National Minorities (OSCE) • Lund Recommendations on the Effective Participation of National Minorities in Public Life (OSCE) How it should be done In areas where speakers of a minority language are concentrated in significant numbers, ballots, and information documents pertaining to elections, consultations and other processes involving decision-making in public life should, to a reasonable degree, be available in minority languages.58 This is likely to result in better informed individuals, increased participation and greater inclusion and integration of minorities. Consultation, participation, representation and meaningful influence of minorities on the decisionmaking bodies and processes that affect them must at all times be considered and facilitated, in order to best inform policymakers and foster cooperation between authorities and minority communities. 58 Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Guidelines to Assist National Minority Participation in the Electoral Process (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe: Warsaw, 2001), <http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/17569?download=true>, p. 16.