Election Observation Missions: Making them Count
An examination of strategies to enhance the contribution of international election observation missions to the broader field of democracy promotion, by former Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark, with Elizabeth Voeller and Marianna Ofosu.[download the report][visit the conference site]
The Africa Program is pleased to release the latest installment of its Occasional Paper Series entitled " Election Observation Missions: Making Them Count," which assesses the process of international election observation with special reference to its post-election consequences. In this paper, Joe Clark, former prime minister of Canada and public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, argues that a more focused policy approach to international election observation "follow-up"—comprising a firm and common practice and clear penalties—is needed if international election observation missions are to make their intended impact.
This paper is a synthesis of the discussions held at a conference entitled "Elections Observation Missions: Making Them Count," sponsored by the Africa Program and the Canada Institute of Wilson Center, on April 29th, 2005. The conference featured representatives of major non-governmental organizations and multilateral institutions engaged in international election observation. Elizabeth Voeller, research assistant to Joe Clark and Marianna Ofosu, research consultant with the Woodrow Wilson Center assisted in the production of this paper. Full conference transcripts are available for this conference, by following the links below.
[download conference transcripts]
[visit the conference website]
For further information, or media inquiries please contact:
Mike Jobbins
Program Associate
Africa Program
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20004
Telephone: (202) 691-4158
Email: mike.jobbins@wilsoncenter.org
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Africa Program
The Africa Program works to address the most critical issues facing Africa and US-Africa relations, build mutually beneficial US-Africa relations, and enhance knowledge and understanding about Africa in the United States. The Program achieves its mission through in-depth research and analyses, public discussion, working groups, and briefings that bring together policymakers, practitioners, and subject matter experts to analyze and offer practical options for tackling key challenges in Africa and in US-Africa relations. Read more
