UNITED NATIONS A General Assembly Distr. GENERAL HRC/FMI/2009/2 July 2009 Original: ENGLISH HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Forum on Minority Issues Second session Geneva, 12-13 November 2009 NOTE BY THE INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON MINORITY ISSUES, GAY McDOUGALL, ON MINORITIES AND EFFECTIVE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION Introduction 1. Many situations around the world demonstrate that an adequate representation of minority groups in policy- and decision-making by society is instrumental in breaking the cycle of discrimination and exclusion suffered by members of these groups, and their ensuing disproportionate levels of poverty and related impediments to the full enjoyment of many civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. 2. The Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities states that ensuring that persons belonging to such minorities are “an integral part of the development of society as a whole and within a democratic framework based on the rule of law” is necessary to maintain or build harmonious and respectful relations among a society’s various components. 1 The effective participation of members of minority groups in the political life of the society they belong to is an essential component of a peaceful and democratic society. I. LEGAL FRAMEWORK 3. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights protects the right of everyone “to take part in the government of his country” and to “equal access to public service in his country”. 2 The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights also recognizes the rights of every citizen, without distinction of any kind, to take part in 1 2 Sixth preambular paragraph. Article 21.