A/RES/66/130 (f) Voting in elections and public referendums and being eligible for election to publicly elected bodies on equal terms with men; (g) Participating in the formulation of government policy and the implementation thereof, holding public office and performing public functions at all levels of government; Calls upon States in situations of political transition to take effective 4. steps to ensure the participation of women on equal terms with men in all phases of political reform, from decisions on whether to call for reforms in existing institutions to decisions regarding transitional governments, to the formulation of government policy, to the means of electing new democratic governments; Urges all States to comply fully with their obligations under the 5. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,2 urges States that have not yet ratified or acceded to the Convention to do so, and urges States parties to the Convention to consider signing, ratifying or acceding to the Optional Protocol thereto; 5 6. Also urges all States to take, inter alia, the following actions to ensure women’s equal participation, and encourages the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations, within their existing mandates, to enhance their assistance to States in their national efforts: (a) To review the differential impact of their electoral systems on the political participation of women and their representation in elected bodies and to adjust or reform those systems where appropriate; (b) To take all appropriate measures to eliminate prejudices that are based on the idea of the inferiority or the superiority of either of the sexes or on stereotyped roles for men and women and that constitute a barrier to women’s access to and participation in the political sphere, and to adopt inclusive approaches to their political participation; (c) To strongly encourage political parties to remove all barriers that directly or indirectly discriminate against the participation of women, to develop their capacity to analyse issues from a gender perspective, and to adopt policies, as appropriate, to promote the ability of women to participate fully at all levels of decision-making within those political parties; (d) To promote awareness and recognition of the importance of women’s participation in the political process at the community, local, national and international levels; (e) To develop mechanisms and training to encourage women to participate in the electoral process, political activities and other leadership activities, and empower women to assume public responsibilities by developing and providing appropriate tools and skills, in consultation with women; (f) To implement appropriate measures within governmental bodies and public sector institutions to eliminate direct or indirect barriers to and enhance women’s participation in all levels of political decision-making; _______________ 5 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2131, No. 20378. 3