The Electoral Observation Section of the Department for Electoral Cooperation and Observation of the Secretariat for Political Affairs is responsible for the organization, implementation and follow up of all electoral observation missions of the Organization of American States.

The Section provides substantive support to the Director by identifying the relevant aspects of the electoral processes to be observed. It will ensure that the OAS methodology for observation is implemented and that the final reports presented to the Permanent Council reflect the structure, content and final conclusions inherent in this methodology. The Section for Electoral Observation Missions drafts proposals and budgets and, in coordination with the Director, follow up with potential donors to ensure receipt of adequate resources.

The Section has drafted an institutional strategy for continued work in the field of campaign and political party financing, identifying thematic and geographical priorities.  It ensures that the issue of financing is included in each of the final reports of the OAS Missions, including recommendations to strengthen the normative frameworks and the enforcement of existing legislation.  The Section coordinates among the electoral authorities, political parties and civil society representatives through activities between election cycles on a national, regional and hemispheric basis. The Electoral Section is also in charge of topics related to the reinforcement of EOM’s such as the follow up to recommendations provided post an election.

Thematic areas

Along with the organization of Electoral Observation Missions, the Electoral Observation Section also undertakes projects pertaining to political financing as well as providing follow up to EOM’s in the post-election phase.

Democracy Bridge (African Union and the OAS).  Initiated in 2006, the Democracy Bridge initiative facilitates information between Organization of American States and the African Union to refine its methodology in electoral observation.  Through Democracy Bridge, OAS officials joined the AU Observer Mission in the historic parliamentary elections in Angola in X, 2008.  AU Officials have participated in the OAS Observation Mission in Colombia (2007) and have actively participated in the Inter-American Electoral Training Seminar and meetings of the Association of Caribbean Electoral Organizations (ACEO). 

Political Party and Campaign Financing.  Financed by the Government of Spain, the Political Party and Campaign Financing in the Caribbean project seeks to provide tangible assistance to the countries of the CARICOM to implement meaningful political financing legislation.  The impetus of the project comes from a number of requests from Caribbean countries to implement recommendations of the OAS Electoral Observation Missions in the region.  Indeed, in the various Caribbean elections observed during the last two years, the regulation of political financing represents one of the most important recommendations and has generated the most public interest. 

Declaration of Principles for International Electoral Observation.  Signed in October 2005, the Declaration of Principles for International Electoral Observation represents a worldwide, inter-institutional attempt to standardize, professionalize and improve electoral observation methodology.  In an effort to identify best practices, the signatories of the Declaration hold annual meetings in different regions of the world.  In 2006, the Second Meeting of the Declaration was held at the OAS Headquarters in Washington, D.C.  The Section of Electoral Observation has participated actively in each of the annual meetings as well as thematic workshops addressing issues such as political party and campaign financing, electoral technology and access to the media.  Both the Declaration of Principles for International Electoral Observation and the Code of Conduct for Observers constitute an important element in observer training for each OAS Mission.

Association of Caribbean Electoral Organizations (ACEO).   Created in 1998, the Association of Caribbean Electoral Organizations serves as important clearinghouse of information, training and horizontal cooperation for electoral authorities of the Caribbean.  The Association was officially established with 15 founding members:  Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands.  Aruba, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Guyana and St. Vincent and the Grenadines later joined the Association, bringing the total members to 20.