II • Minorities and effective political participation 19. There should be no prohibition or unreasonable restriction placed on the use of any minority language during election campaigns, although language use should naturally be determined by assessing how the broadest constituencies possible may be reached. As far as possible, electoral authorities should provide voting information in both the official language and those minority languages used by voters in the areas where they are concentrated. 20. Civic education programmes specifically directed at informing minorities about how they can have access to the electoral system should be developed and tailored, as far as possible, to every minority group present in the State. Civic education should be a central component of all public education curricula, describing citizens’ roles and responsibilities and encouraging broad-based political participation for all. Governments should sponsor projects to boost political participation, enhance civic activism and education and promote issue-based advocacy, particularly within minority communities. Efforts should be made to ensure that qualified minorities are hired to develop, manage and/or implement government programmes targeted towards minorities. 21. Positive measures should be taken to overcome specific difficulties, such as illiteracy, language barriers, poverty or impediments to freedom of movement, which prevent people entitled to vote from exercising their rights effectively. 22. Governments and parliaments should ensure the effective functioning and funding of national agencies, institutions and/or mechanisms with responsibility for promoting minority political participation. Effective coordination between ministries and with all governmental institutions dealing with issues related to effective participation of minorities should be ensured. 23. States should ensure that all mechanisms, procedures and institutions established to promote and increase the political participation of persons belonging to minorities take into account the specific needs of minority women, as well as those of other groups within minority communities potentially subjected to intersectional discrimination, such as minorities with disabilities. 24. States should consider what special arrangements are necessary to secure the right of minorities to political participation at different stages of a country’s transition, from situations of gross human rights violations and armed conflict, particularly with regard to refugees and internally displaced persons. 25. States should also consider what special arrangements are necessary to guarantee the right to effective political participation for persons belonging to Compilation of Recommendations of the First Four Sessions 2008 to 2011 19 POLITICAL PARTICIPATION 18. Literacy, language, religious or other requirements that exclude minorities from the right to vote or to stand for elected office at the national, regional or local level should be removed, as they may breach the prohibition of discrimination and result in minorities not being able to participate effectively in political life.