PART II  Commitments Related to Structural Components of a Democratic Society 87 8. Support, as appropriate, non-governmental and research bodies in producing targeted studies and awareness-raising initiatives for identifying specific challenges in women’s participation in political and public life and, in promoting equality of opportunities between women and men; 9. Encourage shared work and parental responsibilities between women and men in order to facilitate women’s equal opportunities to participate effectively in political and public life. 2.3.2 Decentralized Government and Special Structures and Bodies Geneva 1991 (IV) Aware of the diversity and varying constitutional systems among them, which make no single approach necessarily generally applicable, the participating States note with interest that positive results have been obtained by some of them in an appropriate democratic manner by, inter alia: • advisory and decision-making bodies in which minorities are represented, in particular with regard to education, culture and religion; • elected bodies and assemblies of national minority affairs; • local and autonomous administration, as well as autonomy on a territorial basis, including the existence of consultative, legislative and executive bodies chosen through free and periodic elections; • self-administration by a national minority of aspects concerning its identity in situations where autonomy on a territorial basis does not apply; • decentralized or local forms of government; (…) Helsinki 1992 (Decisions: VI. The Human Dimension) The participating States (53) Will endeavour, in order to strengthen democratic participation and institution building and in developing co-operation among them, to share their respective experience on the functioning of democracy at a local and regional level, and welcome against this background the Council of Europe information and education network in this field; (54) Will facilitate contacts and encourage various forms of co-operation between bodies at a local and regional level. 2.3.3 Democratic Civilian Control of Military, Paramilitary and Internal Security Forces, Intelligence Services, and the Police Copenhagen 1990 (5) [The participating States] solemnly declare that among those elements of justice which are essential to the full expression of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all human beings are the following: (…)