Civil Society Organizations and the Follow-up on Electoral Recommendations
When
Where
Organized by
As part of the “Support to Electoral Reforms in the Western Balkans” project, ODIHR is organising a workshop in Warsaw on 21 and 22 February 2022 to discuss key challenges and opportunities for civil society’s engagement in electoral follow-up. The discussion will draw conclusions on how to consolidate civil society organisations (CSOs) presence and sustainability throughout the electoral cycle as key stakeholders in electoral reform and democracy promotion throughout the Western Balkans.
Context and topics
Over the past years, election observers’ groups and electoral assistance providers have intensified efforts to promote the implementation of electoral recommendations coming from both international and local civil society organizations, thereby refining the methodology and toolbox at their disposal. Among these, citizen observer groups and CSOs more broadly have proved to play a key role in supporting electoral reform and effective follow-up.
However, in the context of the global decline in support for democracy and shrinking civic space worldwide, these key actors face numerous challenges that negatively impact their consistent engagement throughout the electoral cycle. These include political, methodological and financial challenges, as well as difficulties in their relationships with electoral stakeholders and in dealing with restrictions on their access to all key areas of electoral processes.
The workshop will focus on best practices and lessons learned from civil society’s experience in promoting and monitoring electoral reform, and in addressing recurring and new challenges while capitalising on opportunities to further fulfil their role as democracy promoters. The relationship between civil society and international electoral assistance providers will be addressed, focusing on the potential for increased collaboration between the two as well as the opportunities that increased attention to follow-up to election observation recommendations presents.
Participants
- Representatives of citizen elections observation groups
- Activists and civil society
- Election management bodies
- International donor organizations active in the Western Balkans
Participation in this event is by invitation only.
Contact
For further information, please contact the “Support to Electoral Reforms in the Western Balkans” project team at wb-project@odihr.pl.