OSCE Presence in Albania, ODIHR train foreign ministry staff, election commission members and civil society on short-term election observation

Staff from the Albanian Foreign Ministry, Central Election Commission and civil society on 4 July 2014 completed a three-day training course in Tirana on short-term election observation. The course was jointly organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

The course was part of the efforts of the OSCE Presence in Albania in developing a broader training platform for different actors involved in the electoral process, and short-term election observation could part form part of the syllabus.

“The OSCE is committed to strong participatory democracy throughout the many countries where we are active,” said Robert Wilton, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania. “The variety of participants in this activity is very important: diverse stakeholders, including official institutions and civil society, have a role in ensuring a healthy functioning democracy in Albania and must work together to protect it.”

The main beneficiaries of the broader training programme developed by the OSCE Presence in Albania would be election commissioners at all levels. In addition, local government personnel, media, civil society representatives and others could be trained on a variety of issues related to the proper functioning of democratic processes. The aim is to further enhance the professional and impartial conduct of elections.