Media Center

Press Release

OAS and IFE of Mexico Sign Agreement to Strengthen Cooperation

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, and the President Councilor of Mexico's Federal Electoral Institute (IFE), Leonardo Valdés Zurita, signed today at the headquarters of the hemispheric organization in Washington, DC, a Memorandum of Understanding through which the two institutions will strengthen their already established electoral cooperation, focused in particular on the promotion of the capabilities of electoral authorities of the Americas.

Secretary General Insulza recalled the close cooperation between the OAS and the IFE, and in particular the Latin American Democracy Forum, that the two institutions organized in 2010, 2011 and 2012, in Mexico City. That event, said Insulza, whose importance has been growing due to the participation of highly-regarded speakers and an avid audience that interacts with enthusiasm, has become the "benchmark for assessing the state of democracy in the hemisphere and its relationship with other relevant issues on the regional agenda."

The head of the hemispheric organization expressed his gratitude for the invitation from the government of Mexico to the OAS to observe the recent presidential elections and recalled that for the institution he leads, the Electoral Observation Missions (EOM) "have two advantages: one, the support we offer to countries through our counseling and observation, and second, the lessons learned. There have been many positive changes in the area of elections in Latin America and we are in a building process from which we all can learn, "he said.

President Valdés Zurita thanked the OAS for the agreement, which "formalizes the work we have been doing for some time and which will allow us to continue with our efforts in the area of providing training to officials and electoral authorities in our hemisphere." In this regard, he recalled that the IFE has ordered the creation of the International Center for Electoral Training and Research (CICIE) to provide other electoral bodies, through horizontal international cooperation, training tools, and research assistance on electoral matters, such as electoral management workshops, professional training courses and technical support groups.

The IFE’s President Councilor also referred to the importance of promoting the exchange of knowledge and best practices among countries and to facilitate activities that complement these experiences and knowledge with other electoral authorities.

The agreement signed today establishes the cooperation activities and programs that the OAS and IFE will develop together over the next three years, which include workshops and training, and the promotion of ideas and experiences to promote the improvement in the organization and administration of electoral processes and systems in different countries of the region.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

The B-roll of the is available here.

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

Reference: E-210/13