ODIHR launches new project to support elections in the Western Balkans

The importance and benefits of following up on recommendations from election observers was the focus of an expert meeting organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Warsaw on 8 September 2017.

The event was the first organized within the framework of a three-year ODIHR project to support democratic elections in the Western Balkans. Presentations were made by experts from relevant institutions and civil society groups from across the region, as well as from international organizations.

“Our Office has a long history of supporting institutions and civil society in the follow-up of electoral recommendations in an inclusive and timely manner,” said ODIHR Director Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir. “With this project, we hope to intensify these efforts and support our partners in the Western Balkans in their important efforts to further improve electoral legislation and practice.”

The “Support to Elections in the Western Balkans” project will offer assistance to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia in their efforts to follow up on election observation recommendations in areas related to election management, voter registration and the role and work of the media during election campaigns. The project will also support electoral management bodies in Pristina.

The project is being implemented by ODIHR and has a total budget of 1.6 million euros, provided through contributions from the European Union (1.4 million euros) and the Austrian Development Agency (200,000 euros).