7-Step Roadmap (Step 5): Holding of free and fair elections... International standards and guidelines for elections
Individual Documents
Description:
1. Introduction;
2. Background to International Election Observation;
3. OSCE Commitments and Other International Standards for Democratic Elections;
4. Assessing the Conditions and Needs for Election-Related Activities;
5. Responding to the Needs of OSCE Participating States;
6. The Structure of an ODIHR Election Observation Mission;
7. Observing the Pre-Election Period;
8. Observing Election Day;
9. Observing the Vote Count and Tabulation;
10. Reporting, Debriefing and Statements;
11. Post-Election Observation;
12. Closing Down the Mission;
13. Partnerships;
14. The Final Report;
15. Follow-Up;
Annexes;
Annex A: OSCE Commitments on Elections;
Annex B: Sample Observation Forms for Voting;
Annex C: Glossary of Terms;
Annex D: OSCE/ODIHR Publications Related to Elections
Source/publisher:
OSCE, ODIHR
Date of publication:
2010-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2010-10-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.98 MB
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
FOREWORD by the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union;
AUTHOR?S PREFACE;
DECLARATION ON CRITERIA FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS,
unanimously adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Council at
its 154th Session (Paris, 26 March 1994)...
PART 1:
Free and Fair Elections: Further Steps along the Democracy Road:
1. INTRODUCTION;
2. EVOLVING AND CONSOLIDATING INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS;
2.1 The Inter-Parliamentary Union;
2.1.1 The status of the IPU in its relations with the
United Nations;
2.1.2 The IPU?s agenda;
2.2 The United Nations, the General Assembly,
elections and democracy;
2.2.1 Enhancing the principle of elections;
2.2.2 Support for new or restored democracies;
2.2.3 Respect for the principles of national sovereignty;
2.3 The Commission on Human Rights;
2.3.1 Promoting and consolidating democracy;
2.3.2 Strengthening popular participation;
2.3.3 The role of regional and other organizations;
2.4 Regional and sub-regional developments: Some aspects;
2.4.1 Africa;
2.4.2 Americas;
2.4.3 The Commonwealth;
2.4.4 Europe...
3. DEVELOPMENTS IN LAW AND PRACTICE:
3.1 Elections, democracy and accountability;
3.2 Democracy, representation, and electoral systems;
3.3 Political parties and political rights;
3.4 The right to vote;
3.5 Elections and equality;
3.5.1 The participation of women in political life;
3.6 Electoral administration...
4. A PRESENT AND FUTURE AGENDA:
4.1 Free and Fair Elections revisited;
4.2 Accountability and verification;
4.3 Participation, representation, and equality;
4.4 The evolving agenda;
4.5 The ?democratic imperative.....
PART 2:
Free and Fair Elections: The Development of International Law and Practice:
1. INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES;
1.1 Outline of the study;
1.2 Sources...
2. THE INTERNATIONAL LAW BACKGROUND:
2.1 International obligations;
2.2 Self-determination and national sovereignty;
2.3 Elections and human rights treaties;
2.3.1 Universal instruments;
2.3.2 Regional instruments;
2.4 United Nations election activities;
2.4.1 Action in the UN General Assembly;
2.5 The Inter-Parliamentary Union: Policy and practice;
2.6 Regional and other developments...
3. FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS:
3.1 Constituent elements;
3.1.1 Electoral law and system;
3.1.2 Constituency delimitation;
3.1.3 Election management;
3.1.4 The right to vote;
3.1.5 Voter registration;
3.1.6 Civic education and voter information;
3.1.7 Candidates, political parties and political organization;
3.1.8 Electoral campaigns;
3.1.8.1 Human rights and the election environment;
3.1.8.2 Media access and coverage;
3.1.8.3 Codes of Conduct;
3.1.9 Balloting, monitoring and results;
3.1.10 Complaints and dispute resolution;
3.2 Evaluation and assessment...
4. INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS:
4.1 The goal or objective;
4.2 The rights and responsibilities of individuals and political parties;
4.3 The rights and responsibilities of government;
5. CONCLUSION...
ANNEX:
Free and Fair Elections - Extracts from Selected International Instruments;
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY;
USEFUL WEBSITES;
INDEX.
Guy Goodwin-Gill
Source/publisher:
Inter-Parliamentary Union
Date of publication:
2006-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2010-10-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
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Description:
INTRODUCTION:
1. ELECTION ASSESSMENT:
A. International Standards on Elections and Human Rights;
B. Use of International Standards in Assessing Elections;
C. Use of National Standards in Assessing Elections;
D. Comparison with Previous Elections ....
2. DEVELOPING AN OBSERVATION PROGRAMME:
A. Needs Assessment;
B. Planning and Institutional Issues;
C. Programme Structure and Functions;
D. National Operations;
E. Regional and Local Operations;
F. Impartiality;
G. Accreditation....
3. ANALYSIS OF LEGISLATION:
A. Importance of Legal Analysis;
B. Framework for Analysis of Legislation;
C. Developing an Election-Disputes Table....
4. MONITORING ELECTION DISPUTES:
A. Monitoring the Resolution of Disputes;
B. Analysing Election Disputes....
5. ASSESSMENT OF VOTER REGISTRATION
AND ELECTION-DISTRICT BOUNDARIES:
A. Importance of Voter Registration;
B. Evaluating the Quality and Accuracy of Voter Lists/Registration;
C. Comparative Analysis of Voter Lists and Population Data;
D. Voter List Surveys;
E. Computer Tests;
F. Monitoring Public-Information Campaigns;
G. Monitoring Voter Registration Centres;
H. Monitoring Voter Registration Tribunals;
I. Monitoring the Drawing of Election-District Boundaries...
6. MONITORING THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATION:;
A. Structure of the Election Administration;
B. Key Issues To Be Assessed....
7. MONITORING CANDIDATE & POLITICAL PARTY REGISTRATION:
A. Registration of Political Parties;
B. Registration of Political Contestants;
C. Registration of Women and National Minorities....
8. MONITORING THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN:
A. Meetings with Political Parties and Candidates;
B. Meetings with the Media;
C. Meetings with Public Officials;
D. Monitoring Campaign Events;
E. Monitoring the Conduct of Security Forces;
F. Monitoring Campaign Expenditure and the Sources and Size of Donations;
G. Monitoring the Misuse of State Resources;
H. Conflict Prevention and Monitoring Election Violence;
I. Monitoring Other Issues....
9. MEDIA MONITORING:
A. Importance of Media Monitoring;
B. Purpose of Media Monitoring;
C. Assessment of the Legal Framework Governing the Media;
D. Monitoring Broadcast and Print Media;
E. Monitoring Paid Political Advertising and Voter Education;
F. Monitoring Intimidation of the Media and Journalists....
10. OBSERVATION OF VOTING AND COUNTING:
A. Observation of Voting and Counting;
B. Parallel Vote Tabulation....
11. MONITORING TABULATION, TRANSMISSION, AND DECLARATION
OF RESULTS:
A. Importance of Monitoring the Tabulation of Results;
B. Monitoring the Transmission of Results by Computer;
C. Monitoring Post-Election-Day Developments....
12. REPORTING AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
A. Importance of Reporting;
B. Reporting by Regional Monitors;
C. Incident Reports;
D. Statements;
E. Final Report;
F. Report Distribution;
ABOUT THE OSCE/ODIHR
Source/publisher:
OSCE, ODIHR
Date of publication:
2003-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2010-10-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.32 MB
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CONTENTS:
Foreword;
Abbreviations;
Note concerning quotations;
International instruments cited in the present handbook...
INTRODUCTION...
I. UNITED NATIONS INVOLVEMENT IN ELECTIONS: AN OVERVIEW...
II. UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS REGARDING ELECTIONS IN GENERAL:
B. Non-discrimination;
C. Self-determination;
D. Political participation;
E. Other basic human rights...
III. INTERNATIONAL CRITERIA REVIEWED IN DETAIL:
A. Free elections;
1. The will of the people;
2. Assuring freedom;
3. Prerequisite rights;
(a) Freedom of opinion;
(b) Freedom of expression and information;
(c) Freedom of assembly;
{d) Freedom of association;
(e) Independent judiciary;
(f) Principle of non-discrimination;
(g) States of emergency;
4. Secret ballot;
5. The essence of free elections;
B. Fair elections:
1. Equal, universal and non-discriminatory suffrage;
2. Non-discrimination and positive measures;
3. One person, one vote;
4. Legal and technical assurances;
C. Periodicity and the electoral time-frame;
1. Periodicity;
2. Postponing elections;
3. The electoral calendar...
D. Genuine elections;
1. Genuine procedures;
2. Genuine effects;
3. A real choice;
4. Equal access to public service;
5. An informed choice;
6. Legal and technical issues;
E. Other requirements;
1. The role of police and security forces;
2. The role of observers...
IV. COMMON ELEMENTS OF ELECTORAL LAWS AND PROCEDURES:
A. Election administration;
B. Constituency delimitation;
C. Registration of electors;
D. Nominations, parties and candidates;
E. Polling, tabulation and reporting;
F. Complaints, petitions and appeals;
G. Respect for fundamental human rights;
H. Offences, penalties and maintenance of order;
I. Media access and regulation;
J. Public information and voter education;
K. Observation and verification;
L. Legal authority and structure...
CONCLUSION...
ANNEXES:
I. International human rights standards relating to elections...
II. Draft General Principles on Freedom and Non-discrimination in the Matter of Political
Rights...
III. Enhancing the Effectiveness of the Principle of Periodic and Genuine Elections:
Framework for Future Efforts...
IV. Relevant provisions of selected regional human rights instruments
Source/publisher:
United Nations
Date of publication:
1994-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2010-10-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
250.02 KB
Local URL:
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