The development of regional associations of electoral organisations and the increasing internationalization of elections through advocacy for international standards for democratic elections led to the establishment of a global forum for discussion of EMB collaboration.

The development of regional associations of electoral organisations in the 1980s and 1990s and the increasing internationalisation of elections through advocacy for international standards for democratic elections precipitated the need to set up a global forum for discussion of EMB collaboration. The Conference of the Global Electoral Organisation (GEO) Network, which was first convened in Ottawa in April 1999, is a worldwide meeting of regional associations of election officers. GEO conferences have the following objectives:

a) to provide an opportunity for associations of election officials to link with each other in a global professional network;

b) to offer organisational and programmatic models for collaboration and cooperative ventures among members and between associations, or with the supporters of electoral governance projects;

c) to serve as a forum in which to identify areas of need in electoral governance, and programmes which can be developed to respond to those needs; and

d) to identify a common agenda for all election management bodies around the world.

A global network of electoral organisations was a natural progression from regional electoral associations. The pillars on which regional electoral associations are built such as exchange of information, consultation, cooperation, technical assistance on bilateral and regional levels, will apply, albeit on a wider scale. A global network that is based on regional electoral associations is well placed to draw upon the strengths of those associations and be equipped to address emerging or potential global challenges in electoral administration.

The practical operations of the global network may best revolve around the promotion of knowledge and experience gained in the development of electoral procedures, joint research on matters relating to important election processes and issues, and promotion of international discussions on electoral issues with a view to furthering democratic values and governance. A global network is well placed to encourage and facilitate the publication of electoral materials by the various regional associations and to promote the exchange of expertise and the secondment of specialists in technical fields.

Various electoral issues could be treated with advantage at the global level and set the stage for adaptation at the regional or national levels. These issues could include:

1. improved cost-effectiveness in election organisation;
2. principles and good practices in election management;
3. new election technologies, their effectiveness and affordability;
4. legislative regimes for elections and referendums; and
5. model regimes for resolution of electoral disputes.