Hugh Fulton

Mr Hugh Fulton is a senior election manager who has undertaken advisory and support programmes for elections in Iraq, Afghanistan and all post conflict elections held in Kosovo. Currently Mr Fulton is employed as the head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) electoral assistance programme in Kosovo. Taking up the post in May 2007 he led the combined local and international electoral team which successfully delivered the first ever joint national and local elections held in the same year. For his and his team’s efforts, he received a letter of commendation from the OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut. Since 2008 he has undertaken transitional and capacity building programmes, and has provided election project and technical support to the Central Election Commission and Electoral Complaints and Appeals Commission for the first two independently run elections in 2009 and 2010. Through these efforts the electoral institutions have achieved enhanced capacity and sustainability allowing the OSCE to reduce its support. Further, in 2010 Mr Fulton initiated electoral legislative reform and his team provides technical support to the Kosovo electoral reform commissions in their delivery of a relevant, simplified and compliant electoral framework. In 2012 he managed the technical implementation of the OSCE voter facilitation programme for Serbian Presidential and Parliamentary elections held in Kosovo. In 2005, he had operational responsibility for the implementation of the out-of-country voting programme for the Iraqi interim assembly elections in Scotland, employed by the International Organisation for Migration. In the second Iraqi out-of-country voting programme of the same year, he was appointed Country Electoral Advisor to the United Kingdom contracted by the Iraqi Electoral Commission. Additionally in 2005 he was employed by the United Nations as the Regional Election Coordinator for Western Afghanistan leading the team that delivered Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections in the four constituent provinces. Between 2000 and 2004 Mr Fulton undertook a number of electoral management roles for the OSCE Mission in Kosovo in respect of the 4 elections held during this time. Mr Fulton has also observed elections in Finland (2012), Slovenia (2011), Scotland (2011) the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (2008), Armenia (2007), and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (2000). In 2010 he was engaged by IFES to support a project dealing with voters’ list management and gives presentations on election management, planning and assistance. In 2008 he was a guest speaker at the Elections in Post Conflict Countries conference held in Ghana. He has also led verification and compliance activities in Georgia and Kosovo and has undertaken substantial commercial sector project management including: a plan to relocate a power station from the UK to India, change management projects in Russia, and business development in Europe, Asia and Africa. Mr Fulton is a multi-functional manager, experienced with high profile and time sensitive projects, and has considerable staff management and training experience. He holds a Masters of Business Administration and a Master of Arts (Hons) in politics.

Thematic Areas of Expertise