OSCE/ODIHR regional conference stresses need for regulation of political financing
Some 120 political officials, civil society representatives, international experts and members of academia from more than 30 countries discussed practical steps towards improving political finance regulations in Eastern and Central Europe at a conference co-organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Tbilisi on 18 and 19 February 2016.
The conference "Money in Politics", organized in co-operation with State Audit Office of Georgia, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), the Council of Europe, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), focused specifically on assessing the implementation of existing rules and measures for effectively enforcing party-finance legislation.
"The goal of regulating the role of money in politics is to strengthen a democracy that is actually controlled and trusted by the people," said Lasha Tordia, General Auditor at the State Audit Office of Georgia. "Increasing transparency is essential in protecting political systems from being captured by money and in preserving the integrity of elected officials."
Topics for discussion during the conference also included the effective design of regulatory bodies, the monitoring of political finance income and expenditure, mechanisms to increase transparency through better reporting, monitoring of the use of administrative resources, and the promotion of better disclosure of political party funding.
"All OSCE participating States today face significant challenges connected to the role of money in politics," said Marcin Walecki, Head of ODIHR’s Democratization Department. "The regulation of political finance should be put in the broader context of the protection of the integrity of political systems."
The conference is part of ODIHR’s ongoing efforts to improve the regulation of political finance across the OSCE region, in order to support OSCE participating States in fulfilling their commitments on democratic governance.