Good practices for administration of elections in the Western Balkans the focus of conference in Sarajevo

Improving the practices of election management bodies (EMBs) in the Western Balkans region was the main topic of a conference held in Sarajevo on 26 and 27 September 2023. The event was organized as part of the ODIHR project “Support to Electoral Reforms in the Western Balkans”, in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Over 50 participants (17 women and 33 men), including representatives of EMBs, civil society and local and international election experts, discussed key principles that stem from international commitments and good electoral practices, and how such principles guide the work of EMBs and provide the basis for assessment by election observers. Specific attention was paid to the activities of the election administration, new and recurring challenges, and the innovative solutions adopted to address such challenges.

“Organizing elections fully in line with OSCE commitments can indisputably be a challenging task for any EMB,” said Meaghan Fitzgerald, Head of ODIHR Elections Department. “At the same time, as election-related processes gradually evolve and modernize, the duties and oversight functions of EMBs have expanded and become more complex. They are facing recurrent challenges, such as promoting public trust and accountability in election administration, enhancing the effective and transparent planning of activities, securing engagement in legal reform initiatives, but also new challenges like using information communication technology to boost effectiveness and increase inclusivity.”

The discussion highlighted the need to further strengthen co-operation and partnerships between EMBs, civil society organizations and international organizations to enhance engagement in addressing observation recommendations related to election administration.

“Better co-operation among all electoral stakeholders is crucial if we want to address the many old and new challenges facing EMBs across our region,” said Suad Arnautović, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “Preserving the independence and impartiality of EMBs is particularly a growing challenge, which deserves greater attention and joint solutions.”

During the event, ODIHR presented its new Handbook for the Observation of Election Administration, which provides detailed guidance on such aspects and processes and explains how they are assessed by ODIHR observation missions.

The 2021 – 2023 ODIHR project “Support to Electoral Reforms in the Western Balkans” is funded by the European Union and the Austrian Development Agency.