EMBs in OSCE/ODIHR election observations Achievements and challenges from the perspective of international standards and good practice Tatyana Bogussevich, OSCE/ODIHR Acting Deputy Head of Election Department, Senior Election Adviser

o Focuses exclusively on the administration by EMBs of an electoral process o Leaves out any other observations and aspects, including legal and political context o Not an attempt to capture with full correctness and comprehensiveness the special circumstances in each of the States o Generalizations and tendencies Overview

Basis of analysis 6 years of OSCE/ODIHR reports out of 47 countries in which election- related activities were conducted 275 recommendations1 up to 4-5 elections in each

EMBs in recommendations Only around 15% of a total number of recommenda tions related to EMBs Some 40% of EMB- related recommend ations are identified as priority ones Subtle trend of decrease in the number of EMB- related recommen dations A portion of recomend ations is reiterated as unimpleme nted in subsequen t reports

Independence Impartiality Integrity ProfessionalismTransparency Collegiality Efficiency EMBs in international standards and good practice

Efficiency: self-organization, service provider Achievements Elections technically well administered, within legal deadlines Greater focus on training, using innovative approaches Greater use of technology facilitating aspects of electoral process; Work between elections, including on the basis of comprehensive action plans and lessons learnt Greater focus on voter education, with use of interactive formats  Focus on enfranchisement and efforts to accommodate special needs groups Challenges Resources (human, financial) incompatible with duties Insufficient co-ordination with lower level EMBs and other institutions Adoption of last-minute decisions Need of greater training in particular on counting, tabulation and completion of protocols Last minute replacement of staff challenges stability, undermines training

Integrity Challenges Need for greater balance in composition Lack of collegiality Formalistic approach to complaints, poorly arguemented decisions; Failures to provide timely and effective legal redress Counting and tabulation assessed considerably more negatively Achievements Opening and voting assessed overwhelmingly positively Moving towards or established centralized voter registration Development of guidelines to supplement, clarify legal provisions

Transparency Achievements Efforts to publish results by polling stations, post and distribute to observers protocols; Greater trend of sessions open to observers, media, parties; Greater engagement with civil society; Challenges Greater efforts needed to publish EMB decisions, meeting agendas and minutes in a timely manner; Reduced transparency of count and tabulation processes;  Lack of provisions for observation

 Certain common trends, both with regard to achievements and challenges  Benefits of EMB exchange  Follow up  Technical targeted advice and assistance by the OSCE/ODIHR Conclusions and ways ahead