Civil society’s engagement in electoral reform in the Western Balkans promoted at ODIHR regional conference in Warsaw

Key challenges and opportunities for civil society in the follow-up on election observation recommendations were the focus of a conference that took place in Warsaw on 21 and 22 February 2023, as a part of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) “Support to Electoral Reforms in the Western Balkans” project.

The event brought together more than 60 participants (25 women and 37 men) representing citizen elections observation groups and civil society, election management bodies, and donors and international organizations active in the Western Balkans region.

“Citizen observer groups and civil society organizations in general have proved to play a key role in supporting electoral reform and effective follow-up. Their work is not only positively impacting electoral integrity, but is also promoting public engagement around elections in the long-term,” said Matteo Mecacci, ODIHR Director. “The inclusion of civil society should therefore be a key component in the implementation of election observation recommendations by authorities.”

Key topics discussed included new and recurrent challenges and lessons learned from civil society engagement in the electoral follow-up; ensuring cohesion and complementarity among citizen observers, international observers and electoral assistance providers; follow-up and participation of under-represented groups; and follow-up to recommendations on election administration and the legal framework.

The discussions confirmed the need to continue tackling challenges pressing civil society organizations working on electoral reform, including the lack of long-term, sustainable funding of activities throughout the complete electoral cycle, and their dependence on political parties and agendas.

“To influence the change of electoral practices and to protect the electoral integrity in the Western Balkans, both international and citizen election observers must enhance their efforts to push for inclusive and transparent implementation of electoral recommendations,” said Emilija Orestijević, project manager at the Centre for Free Elections and Democracy (CeSID) in Serbia.

The 2021 – 2023 ODIHR project “Support to Electoral Reforms in the Western Balkans” is funded by the European Union and the Austrian Development Agency.