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Enrollment Period Opens for the Joint OAS-University of Salamanca School of Electoral Observation

The registration period has opened for participation in the first School of Electoral Observation, co-organized by the Ibero-American Institute of the University of Salamanca and the Organization of American States (OAS), through its Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO). Applications will be accepted until March 15 to take the courses that will be held from June 17 to 21, 2013, at the headquarters of the Spanish university.

The aim of the school is to train potential observers in the tools needed to participate in an electoral observation mission and improve the way the missions are organized and run, both internationally and domestically.

In her remarks upon the launch of this training activity, DECO Director Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian, said "electoral observation is one of the main contributions of the OAS to democracies in the region. Building on past achievements, our Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, has emphasized the need to professionalize this work." She added that "the first of its kind, this school takes us one step closer to that goal and we are pleased to have a top class faculty, with both theoretical and practical expertise and experience. I hope it will be successful and a valuable contribution not only to the OAS, but to all the institutions that are part of this initiative. "

The Director of the Ibero-American Institute of the University of Salamanca, Flavia Freidenberg, said for her part that "this school is the result of the strategic alliance between the OAS and the Institute. It is an effort to offer comprehensive and professional training in diverse observation methodologies, monitoring of mass media and election campaigns, financing of political parties, electoral governance, or the use of new technologies in elections. We hope, with this school, to contribute to the professionalization of the Missions and to improve the quality of democracy in the region."

During the week of June 17 to 21, participants will have the opportunity to attend at the Ibero-American Institute a series of lectures presented by renowned national and international experts and to participate in workshops that will enable them to apply their knowledge to job of an observer. This initiative has the support of the Federal Electoral Institute of Mexico, the Carter Center, International IDEA, the Argentinian Society of Political Analysis, the Embassy of Chile in Spain and the Chile-Spain Foundation, through the Cátedra Chile.

More information about School of Electoral Observation available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-048/13