E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.5/2001/2 page 10 into account before decisions which concern them are adopted. A wide range of constitutional and political measures is used around the world to provide access for minorities to decision-making. 43. The variety in the composition, needs and aspirations of different types of minority groups requires identification and adoption of the most appropriate ways to create conditions for effective participation in each case. The mechanisms chosen have to take into account whether the persons belonging to the minority in question live dispersed or in compactly settled groups, whether the minority is small or large, or an old or a new minority. Religious minorities may also require different types or contexts of participation than ethnic or national minorities. It should be noted, however, that in some cases the religion and ethnicity coincide. 44. Effective participation requires representation in legislative, administrative and advisory bodies and more generally in public life. Persons belonging to minorities, like all others, are entitled to assemble and to form their associations and thereby to aggregate their interests and values to make the greatest possible impact on national and regional decision-making. They are entitled not only to set up and make use of ethnic, cultural and religious associations and societies (see commentary to article 2.4 below), but also to establish political parties, should they so wish. In a well-integrated society, however, many persons belonging to minorities often prefer to be members of or vote for parties which are not organized on ethnic lines but are sensitive to the concerns of the minorities. 45. Where minorities are concentrated territorially, single-member districts may provide sufficient minority representation. Proportional representation systems, where a political party’s share in the national vote is reflected in its share of the legislative seats, may assist in the representation of minorities. Some forms of preference voting, where voters rank candidates in order of choice, may also facilitate minority representation and promote inter-communal cooperation. 46. Decentralization of powers based on the principle of subsidiarity, whether called self-government or devolved power, and whether the arrangements are symmetrical or asymmetrical, would increase the chances of minorities to participate in the exercise of authority over matters affecting themselves and the entire society in which they live. 47. Public institutions should not, however, be based on ethnic or religious criteria. Governments at local, regional and national levels should recognize the role of multiple identities in contributing to open communities and in establishing useful distinctions between public institutional structures and cultural identities. 48. States should also establish advisory or consultative bodies involving minorities within appropriate institutional frameworks. Such bodies or round tables should be attributed political weight and effectively consulted on issues affecting the minority population. 49. There should be equal access to public sector employment across the various ethnic, linguistic and religious communities.