Experts from 60 countries establish the first independent international association for election monitoring
At the National Centre RUSSIA, during the International Research and Practice Conference on Ensuring the Observation and Expert Assessment of Electoral Processes, the first independent international non-governmental association in the field of electoral and political monitoring was established, bringing together representatives from different regions of the world. The conference united more than 150 experts from 60 countries, including representatives of public authorities, members of parliament, political party figures, human rights advocates, and others.
"We welcome the idea of creating an association for monitoring electoral processes, which could serve as an alternative institution for election assessment in a multipolar world. Such a structure should ensure independent and depoliticised observation, offering a counterweight to Western approaches. These initiatives are becoming a kind of immune response by the Global Majority to the long-standing imposition of uncontested development standards on countries – standards that take no account of their national, historical, or cultural characteristics," said Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov in a video address.
According to him, there is currently no international organisation that brings together independent experts at a global rather than regional level. He also noted that existing organisations in the field of electoral assessment often follow the agenda of Western countries, using international observation as a tool for interference in the internal affairs of other states and for the removal of undesirable governments.
Chairperson of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation Ella Pamfilova also emphasised the importance of the future association and invited its experts to take part in monitoring the upcoming State Duma elections: "We are genuinely open to broad cooperation and engagement with you, and I hope that we will see many of you taking part in observing the upcoming federal elections in Russia. We will be pleased to share our accumulated experience with you. We learn from our colleagues and share our own practices, treating with great respect the specific features, traditions and characteristics of each country."
The association will assess the openness and legitimacy of electoral processes based on the national interests of states, through the organisation of international observation missions and the promotion of principles of respect for sovereignty, international law and political traditions. One of its key objectives will be to advance the principle of non-interference in elections as an alternative to what is described as Western neo-colonial practices.
The association will include experts with substantial experience in the electoral field, who have participated in observation missions in various countries, including Russia.
"New forms of voting and observation have emerged, and the institutions and participants involved in monitoring have expanded. We are developing new mechanisms that help raise the level of trust and transparency in our elections. The more effective instruments we develop, compared to the West, the more negatively this is perceived in the West — and we, as human rights commissioners at both federal and regional levels, clearly feel this," said Human Rights Commissioner of the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova.
As part of the conference, a series of round tables is also planned, including: "Standards of International Observation: Balancing National Specificities and Common Principles", "New Technologies in Electoral Monitoring", "Best Practices in Organising Electoral Processes" and "Foreign Interference in Elections as a Threat to State Sovereignty".
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