The Advisory Committee found that some States do not recognize
some minorities or indigenous people, apply restrictions on ground of
ethnicity or make distinctions among them, which affects their participation
in political life, or that mechanisms of consultation and dialogue with them are
still inadequate. In others, the appointment of members of advisory bodies of
minorities is made by State bodies, not by the minorities themselves. Other
States do not recognize all rights of participation and consultation to those
bodies representing some minority groups or do not facilitate the creation of
associations of some small minorities. In some States constituency
boundaries and the territorial structures are constantly changed, which affects
stability and participation of minorities in public life. Participation of persons
belonging to minorities in the police, judicial and other law-enforcement
bodies was also noted as insufficient in many States parties.
In most European countries the participation of Roma minorities in
political life is insuficient, for many reasons, mainly lack of interest and of
support of the State bodies and lack of legislation. It was noted that the
participation of Roma people in political parties based on political affiliation
did not produce significant results for the representation of their concerns.
In States where conflicts took place, the Committee asked the
Governments to overcome the post-conflict trauma and introduce positive
measures to eradicate the negative consequences of practices of curtailing the
number of persons belonging to some minorities in various State bodies.
3.Limits to the participation of minorities in political life may result first
of all of non-recognition of minorities, of prohibitory legislation or of a
climate of intolerance. It may result also from a weak organization of the
minority or difficults of cooperation among its leaders; in order to be able to
play a role in a society, in accordance with democratic principles, minorities
have to be organised on the basis of democratic rules themselves.
Most of the limits and difficulties result from the policies of the States
concerned. It includes first of all the non-recognition of minorities or simply
ignoring their existence. Then, legislation forbidding their organisation,
directly or indirectly, may lead to the absence of any form of expressing the
concerns of the group as such, of promoting such concerns, of being
involved in the elaboration of programmes and projects which may affect
their interests. Of particular importance are programmes and projects
concerning education, the use of languages and the preservation and
development of culture in the country, as well as economic projects