OSCE supports conference on role of new technologies in electoral process in Kazakhstan

The role of new technologies in the electoral process was the focus of an international conference organized by the Central Election Commission of Kazakhstan with support from the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, in Kazakhstan’s capital on 1 and 2 November 2018. The conference was held on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Commission.

The event brought together some 120 experts and representatives of the Central Election Commission, the parliament, state agencies, political parties, NGOs, diplomatic missions and international organizations, as well as central election bodies from 15 countries.

The conference provided a platform to discuss the use of modern technologies during elections, building public trust in political processes and improvements to the administration of elections. International experts and the members of central election bodies from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, India, Jordan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Turkey shared experiences and best practices in the administration of elections in their countries.

Berik Imashev, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission, noted possible challenges and risks associated with the use of digital technologies in the election process and said that the international community should develop norms and standards in order to protect national elections from manipulation in cyberspace. He stressed the OSCE’s special role in this regard.

György Szabó, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, said: “Today new technologies are used in nearly all stages of the electoral process. In order to build public trust in new technologies used during elections, it is important that the principles of universality, equality, transparency, vote secrecy, accountability and fairness of elections are guaranteed and applied regardless of the type of deployed modern technologies.”

The event is part of the Programme Office’s continuous efforts to enhance the transparency and accountability of electoral processes and strengthen democratic institutions in compliance with OSCE principles and commitments.