A/HRC/22/49/Add.1 Political participation 87. National minorities and those within the category of ―others‖ must have equal rights to stand for any government position. The judgement of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Sejdić and Finci v. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a landmark decision for the rights of minorities, and constitutional reform is necessary to remove discriminatory provisions. This should not be portrayed as a threat to peace or the rights of any group, but as a positive, necessary process of change for a democratic country seeking European Union membership. 88. Efforts must be intensified to move beyond a political impasse and to implement the Sejdić and Finci ruling in full consultation with minorities, the councils of national minorities and other representative and consultative bodies, and the international community, which has a valuable advisory role. The Independent Expert notes her willingness to assist the Government and all relevant parties to achieve a speedy and appropriate solution. 89. The use of the term ―others‖ in the Constitution and electoral laws is inappropriate and implies a lower status given to minorities and persons who identify as Bosnian or not belonging to a constituent people. It is discriminatory in terms of protection of rights, as demonstrated by provisions that exclude ―others‖ from election to certain offices. Revision of the Constitution should replace this term in favour of language in line with the Law on the Protection of the Rights of Persons Belonging to National Minorities. 90. Ensuring that minorities and returnees can participate effectively in political life at the municipal, canton and entity levels remains a challenge. Even where they do not meet the threshold for seats in municipal government, steps are required to ensure that minorities and returnees have a voice in decisions concerning them and their regions. Minority women are particularly poorly represented in political life and measures are required to promote their participation. The situation of the Roma minority 91. While on paper Roma action plans in education, employment, health and housing provide excellent aims and expected measures, the implementation of projects has been insufficient to date, resulting in a lack of significant impact on the ground. A heavy reliance on international funding and NGO implementation is evident. While recognizing economic challenges facing the country, commitments must be matched by national- and entity-level will, resources and concrete activities to implement measures effectively. 92. Coordinated and strategic approaches must be adopted that recognize the interrelated nature of issues. For example, to be sustainable, progress in housing must be matched by progress in employment and access to social assistance to ensure that Roma can pay rent. In turn, real progress in employment relies heavily on improved education access and outcomes. Adequate housing and security of tenure underpin all efforts to improve education, employment and health outcomes for Roma communities. 93. Many Roma, including children, continue to lack the documentation they require to fully enjoy their rights as citizens and to benefit from services and social assistance. Full registration should be a high priority of authorities at all levels and existing measures should be intensified. Registration should not entail prohibitive costs or restrictive administrative burdens. Positive practices such as outreach to communities and mobile registration units should be utilized and the full registration of children should be a high priority. 20