NAMFREL

from NAMFREL Election Monitor Vol.2, No.21

The Global Network for Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM), through the initiative of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), saw the need for a “set of standards for self-awareness and accountability among nonpartisan election monitoring organizations.” Thus, a drafting committee was organized sometime in May 2010 and met at Johannesburg, South Africa to “define
the activities and delineate ethical obligations concerning impartiality, independence, accuracy transparency, nondiscrimination, respect for the rule of law and cooperation with other electoral stakeholders….” The “Declaration of Global Principles for Non-Partisan Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen Organizations and Code of Conduct for Non-Partisan Citizen Election Observers and Monitors” (http://bit.ly/qSBg0w) was adopted by more than 140 members of GNDEM spread across five continents. The process surrounding the development of the Declaration of Global principles was facilitated by NDI and the UN Electoral Assistance Division (UNEAD).

The meeting in New York in September at the offices of the UNEAD was called to plan for the launch of the Declaration of Principles in fitting ceremonies to be graced by the UN Secretary General and some high profile guests from the US government. The launch is tentatively scheduled sometime in March 2012 depending on the availability of the invited guests.

Likewise the meeting provided for a discussion on how to strengthen the implementation of the principles, the roles the member organizations in launch and post launch activities.

The meeting participants came from regional networks from Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. Mr. Damaso G. Magbual of NAMFREL and ANFREL (Asian Network for Free Elections) represented Asia.

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