OEA/Ser.P
AG/RES. 1637 (XXIX-O/97)
7 June 1999
Original: Spanish
PERMANENT SPECIFIC FUND TO FINANCE ACTIVITIES
RELATED TO OAS ELECTORAL OBSERVATION MISSIONS
(Adopted at the first plenary session, held on June 7, 1999,
and pending review by the Style Committee)
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
HAVING SEEN resolutions AG/RES. 991 (XIX-O/89) and CP/RES. 572 (882/91), which provide that resources to finance electoral observation missions are to come from external sources;
BEARING IN MIND that resolution CP/RES. 572 (882/91) of the Permanent Council establishes that the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy aims to respond promptly and efficiently to requests from member states;
RECALLING that resolutions AG/RES. 1401 (XXVI-O/96) and AG/RES. 1475 (XXVII-O/97), whose relevant sections refer to consideration of the possibility of establishing a permanent voluntary fund to finance activities by electoral observation missions of the Organization;
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that resolution AG/RES. 1551 (XXVIII-O/98) resolves, in operative paragraph 4, "To take note of the discussion of the Working Group on Representative Democracy on the proposal to establish, within the General Secretariat, a permanent voluntary fund to finance electoral observer missions that the member states may request; and to instruct the General Secretariat to reformulate the study of that fund and submit it for consideration by the Permanent Council, through that Group" [the Working Group on Representative Democracy];
HAVING CONSIDERED document (CP/CAJP-1475/99), "Proposal for a Permanent Specific Fund to Finance OAS Electoral Observation Missions," prepared by the General Secretariat through the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy; and
HAVING EXAMINED document (CP/CAJP-1495/99), "Draft Guidelines for the Establishment of a Permanent Specific Fund to Finance OAS Electoral Observation Missions," which resulted from the deliberations in the Working Group on Representative Democracy and consideration of the topic by the Permanent Council;
AWARE that the number of electoral observation missions requested by member states has
increased markedly in recent years;
CONCERNED that the absence of immediately available funds may affect the timely
fulfillment of the objectives assigned to electoral observation missions;
CONSIDERING that there was agreement, during the discussion that took place in the Working Group on Representative Democracy, on the advisability of establishing a permanent voluntary fund to contribute to financing electoral observation missions that would enable such missions to perform their tasks efficiently and effectively; and
EMPHASIZING that such a permanent voluntary fund should be established in accordance with express guidelines that define its objectives and regulate the activities to be financed, the ways in which the fund will be financed, administration of the fund, and submission of reports on the use of fund resources,
RESOLVES:
1. To establish a permanent specific fund to finance the activities related to electoral observation missions set forth in the guidelines attached to this resolution.
2. To approve those guidelines which shall govern utilization of the permanent specific fund.
3. To establish that administrative costs associated with management of the fund shall be within resources allocated in the program-budget and other resources.
APPENDIX
GUIDELINES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PERMANENT SPECIFIC FUND TO
FINANCE ACTIVITIES RELATED TO OAS ELECTORAL OBSERVATION MISSIONS
I. OBJECTIVES
A. To contribute to funding the activities of electoral observation missions (MOEs), so that the OAS is able to respond in a timely manner to requests from interested states, pursuant to resolution AG/RES. 991.
B. To supplement the current funding system for MOEs, which is based on individual voluntary contributions made by member states or other sources. The UPD shall continue to solicit such contributions to finance each mission for which it receives a request.
C. To promote enlargement of the base of donors and diversification of the sources of
funding.
II. ACTIVITIES
A. The Fund shall essentially be used to prepare pre-electoral exploratory missions in order to:
i. Provide a prompt, timely response to states that have requested that an electoral observation mission be sent;
ii. Determine the requirements of the electoral observation mission; and
iii. Meet the immediate requirements that might arise in connection with a request.
B. Taking account of the resources available in the Fund and its capacity to finance the primary activity described above, the Fund could be used:
i. In the course of a MOE, for unforeseen expenses that arise during the electoral process and are considered essential to the achievement of mission objectives.
ii. To finance, on an exceptional basis, electoral observation missions of particular
interest to the requesting state, but for which there were insufficient voluntary
contributions.
III. FINANCING AND ADMINISTRATION
A. Contributions to the fund shall be voluntary and their amounts shall be determined by each donor.
B. The Fund shall be administered by the UPD, the General Secretariat unit responsible for organizing and conducting electoral observation missions. The Fund shall be managed in accordance with the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat and other provisions and regulations of the Organization.
C. The UPD shall be responsible for soliciting contributions to the Fund from member
states, permanent observers, international organizations, and other possible contributors.
The UPD shall seek to raise sufficient funds to ensure that established objectives are
met.
IV. PRESENTATION OF REPORTS
A. The General Secretariat shall include in its quarterly reports to the Permanent Council on the activities of the UPD a section in the financial report on all activities financed by the Fund.
B. In the final report on each MOE, the General Secretariat shall include information
on the activities financed by Fund resources and on those financed by specific
contributions from individual countries and/or organizations.