86 Democratic Institutions PART II (27) The participating States will also facilitate the establishment and strengthening of independent national institutions in the area of human rights and the rule of law, which may also serve as focal points for co-ordination and collaboration between such institutions in the participating States. They propose that co-operation be encouraged between parliamentarians from participating States, including through existing inter-parliamentary associations and, inter alia, through joint commissions, television debates involving parliamentarians, meetings and round-table discussions. They will also encourage existing institutions, such as organizations within the United Nations system and the Council of Europe, to continue and expand the work they have begun in this area. Moscow 1991 (18.1) Legislation will be formulated and adopted as the result of an open process reflecting the will of the people, either directly or through their elected representatives. Athens 2009 (Decisions: Decision No. 7/09 on Women’s Participation in Political and Public Life) The Ministerial Council, (…) Mindful of the continued under-representation of women in the OSCE area in decisionmaking structures within the legislative, executive, including police services, and judicial branches, Concerned that widespread discrimination against women, continues to undermine their effective participation in political and public life at all levels, (…) Calls on the participating States to: 1. Consider providing for specific measures to achieve the goal of gender balance in all legislative, judicial and executive bodies, including security services, such as police services; 2. Consider possible legislative measures, which would facilitate a more balanced participation of women and men in political and public life and especially in decision-making; 3. Encourage all political actors to promote equal participation of women and men in political parties, with a view to achieving better gender-balanced representation in elected public offices at all levels of decision-making; (…) 5. Develop and introduce where necessary open and participatory processes that enhance participation of women and men in all phases of developing legislation, programmes and policies; (…) 7. Take necessary steps to establish, where appropriate, effective national mechanisms for measuring women’s equal participation and representation;