The surge of observation activities in the 1980s and 1990s, prompting the
systematization and methodological refinement of international electoral
observation, as seen in the 2005 Declaration of Principles, also led to
increased support for and attention to citizen observation. For example,
the Copenhagen Document, a political commitment adopted
in 1990 by the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (now the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe -OSCE), states in article 8
that the presence of observers “both foreign and domestic, can
enhance the electoral process.”[i] Following UN support of national observers
for the 1994 elections in Mexico, the Secretary-General expressed that
assistance for national observers had the potential for long-term capacity
building. He added that they could also contribute to the “creation of
confidence among citizens in their own electoral process”.[ii]
In 1997, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
(International IDEA) identified five main advantages of including national
observers in electoral processes, considering that they:[iii]
- Contribute
to legitimize the electoral process;
- Help
to build confidence in the electoral process;
- Can
improve the prospects for democratization;
- Enhance
the electoral process;
- Contribute
to reducing or preventing conflict.
Moreover, the 2005 Declaration specifically calls upon international observers
to “advocate for the right of citizens to conduct domestic non-partisan
election observation without any undue restrictions or interference.”[iv]National
observation groups around the world have indeed become recipients not only of
funds but also of significant capacity-building efforts by international
technical assistance providers. Beginning in 1986, NDI collaborated closely
with NAMFREL,[v] contributing to
internationalizing the work of national citizen observer groups through
exchange of knowledge and by inviting members from different national CSOs to
observe in other countries. These capacity-building efforts have contributed to
the creation of regional networks of CSOs, which provide support for their
members’ activities in observing elections, through assistance and sharing of
good practice in trainings, methodology, manuals, assessments, research, and
advocacy.
The most long-standing of the regional groupings that deploy international
observer missions within their region is the Asian Network for Free Elections
(ANFREL), established in 1997 by 21 Asian national observer organizations.[vi]
In former Soviet and Central/Eastern European states, the European Network of
Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO) groups 21 organizations from 17
countries.[vii]
Through their experience as international observers in their own region, these
organizations have helped to create powerful links between organizations and to
establish solid methodologies, which have contributed to the emergence of newer
networks such as the Arab Network for Democratic Elections (ANDE).
Among the regional networks of national observer groups that do not deploy
international election observer missions, the SADC Election Support Network
(SADC ESN),[viii]
which includes 15 groups, was also formed in 1997. In Latin America, Acuerdo de
Lima, created in 2000 at the initiative of Transparencia, now unites 14 organizations.
More recently, in 2010 the West Africa Election Observers Network (WAEON) was
established, uniting 10 CSOs from the region.[ix]
Technical assistance provided by international NGO, The Electoral Institute
for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), has greatly contributed to the
growth of credible and long-term citizen observation methodology in the African
continent. In recent years, African regional and sub-regional organizations
have played a key role in promoting and recognizing the value of citizen
observation and CSOs within different treaties and documents. The binding
2002 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (which came into
force in 2012) calls upon States Party, to “create a conducive environment for independent and impartial
national monitoring or observation mechanisms.”[x]
Furthermore, it calls upon states to create conducive conditions for CSOs to
exist and operate within the law.[xi] Although not
binding, the 2002 Organization of African Unity /African Union (OAU/AU) Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in
Africa also calls upon states to accredit national observers to
guarantee the transparency and integrity of the entire electoral process.[xii]
Although a political commitment, at the sub-regional level, the 2004
Southern African Development Community (SADC) Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections reiterates that
the accreditation of observers contributes to the integrity of the electoral
process.[xiii] The
2003 Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA)/SADC Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and
Observation in the SADC Region go one step further by calling
upon EMBs to “ensure that the accreditation
process for observers and monitors is speedy, efficient and non-discriminatory.”[xiv]
Interest in international groupings of citizen observers gained momentum in
the second decade of the 21st century. NDI’s efforts in this field were behind
the creation of the 2009 Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM),
which groups more than 190 CSOs and regional networks from over 75 countries.[xv]
This network, with which the Declaration of Global Principles originated, is
based on the right of all persons to participate in the government and public
affairs of their country and their right to associate freely to help ensure that
elections truly reflect the will of the people. This global network allows
exchanges of experience and lessons learnt from around the world and produces
wealth of common resources. Overall, the GNDEM network and the Declaration of
Global Principles provide signatory organizations with a high degree of
credibility given their clear commitment to a common set of principles.
In spite of these advances, there is still scope for increased cooperation
and collaboration between national observer organizations. In its September
2012 report, the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security noted
that the work of CSOs, particularly those involved in citizen observation,
could be strengthened “by reaching out to like-minded organizations in other
countries,”[xvi] specifically
citing GNDEM. The potential for greater collaboration among national and
international observers is addressed in section 4.1 As previously mentioned,
international observation should strive to make itself unnecessary, and
national observers should be able to conduct analyses of their own electoral
processes in true participatory democracies, but due to particular challenges
that national observers face, outlined in sections 4 and 5, international
observers continue to play an important role in providing impartial outside
observation of electoral processes.
[i]
OSCE, Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the
Conference on the Human Dimension, 1990, article 8.
[ii]
UN Doc. A/49/675, Report of the
Secretary-General, “Enhancing the effectiveness of the principle of periodic
and genuine elections”, 1994, para. 28.
[iii]
International IDEA, Code of Conduct for
the Ethical and Professional Observation of Elections, 1997, p.9.
[iv]
Declaration of Principles for International
Election Observation, 2005, para. 16.
[v]
Bjornlund, E.C., “Beyond Free and Fair:
Monitoring Elections and Building Democracy”, Woodrow Wilson Press, Washington,
2004, p.218
[ix]
West Africa Election Observers Network (WAEON), http://waeon.org/
[x]
African Charter on Democracy, Elections and
Governance, 2002, article 22.
[xi]
African Charter on Democracy, Elections and
Governance, 2007, articles 12.3, 27.2, and 28.
[xii]
OAU/AU Declaration on the Principles Governing
Democratic Elections in Africa, 2002, III i).
[xiii]
SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing
Democratic Elections, 2004, article 7.8.
[xiv]
EISA/SADC Principles for Election Management,
Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region, 2003, Recommended principles for
Observation.
[xv]
Information obtained from the GNDEM
webpage.
[xvi]
Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and
Security, “Deepening Democracy: A Strategy for Improving the Integrity of
Elections Worldwide”, September 2012, para. 110.
