Can national minorities participation in decision-making processes be achieved in any constitutional context ? Can developing international standards assist governments in devising national policies? What are the challenges if states are to use cultural autonomy to improve minority participation? This publication presents The UniDem Seminar on The participation of minorities in public life, which took place in Zagreb on 18 and 19 May 2007, discussed ways of answering these topical questions. This publication contains the reports presented and discussed at the UniDem Seminar organized by the European Commission for Democracy through law (the Venice Commission), under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Croatia and in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Croatia, the University of Zagreb and the University of Glasgow.