A/HRC/34/53/Add.2 VII. Public participation of minorities 75. Full and equal participation of minorities in public life, including political participation at the national, regional and local levels, is a fundamental pillar of minority rights. 76. A key issue stressed by the vast majority of interlocutors was the underrepresentation of minorities in political institutions, particularly in the central Government, and what was described by some as the marginalization and exclusion of regions with relevant minority populations from the national decision-making processes. 77. A number of interlocutors in densely populated minority regions, including Gagauzia and Taraclia, complained about the lack of consultations and information by the central Government with regard to important processes of reforms affecting them, including the administrative territorial reform. 78. In Taraclia, where Bulgarians constitute almost 70 per cent of the population, the Special Rapporteur heard concerns from a large number of stakeholders with respect to the possibility of losing the status of district and the perception that their concerns were not being taken into account by the central State authorities. Furthermore, some interviewees regretted the lack of Bulgarian representation at the central Government. 79. Representatives from Roma civil society organizations noted the almost non-existent participation of Roma at the political level and regretted the abolishment of the position of “adviser for Roma issues”, which had been part of the Prime Minister’s Office. 80. The Special Rapporteur learned that a working group consisting of members of the Moldovan Parliament and the Gagauzian Peoples’ Assembly had been created to discuss matters of common concern. She hopes that similar initiatives of dialogue between the Government and the regions with a relevant presence of minorities can be replicated and taken further to promote dialogue and trust-building and to address issues of mutual interest. 81. The Special Rapporteur requested information on the staff composition of the different public institutions, including ministries and other government agencies, and learned that, in general, there was a lack of data making it possible to assess in full compliance with standards of personal data protection and privacy the ethnic, linguistic and religious composition of the workforce. She would like to encourage government agencies and public institutions to conduct internal surveys to examine the composition of their staff in order to assess whether the diversity of the population is reflected and take appropriate actions. VIII. Media 82. Many interlocutors consulted expressed concern that the media did not seem to reflect the diversity inherent to the Republic of Moldova with respect to minorities. While the existence of programmes broadcast in minority languages was acknowledged, it was also noted that the number of hours allocated to them was insufficient, with an average of two hours every two weeks allocated for minority programmes on the public television station Moldova 1. 83. Another issue of particular concern refers to the various reports received during the visit with respect to the propagation of negative and demeaning stereotypes in the media against some minority groups, in particular Muslim and Roma communities. Emphasis on the ethnic or religious background of a person responsible for a criminal offense was described as common and a contributing factor to negative perceptions and generalizations 17