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| Election Visitor Program participants at Gyeongbuk Palace |
In the Administration and International Affairs Division of the NEC, we often get ask ‘so what international work do election management bodies (EMBs) even do?’ There is a general misconception that there is not much international cooperation between EMBs, but that could not be further from the truth. There is a vibrant international community of EMBs, international organizations and election experts that share knowledge and experience to improve our work, and the NEC is a proud and active member of that community.
The most common form of international cooperation we are participating in is taking part in observations around the world. During elections, most EMBs invite other election officials to observe their own election management for mutual benefit. The NEC was grateful to receive invitations to observe in a wide variety of election observations from the USA to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Uzbekistan to Brazil. Our staff are able to pick up valuable experience and witness a different way of managing elections. Similarly, EMBs from around the world visit the NEC on training program hosted by the Korean Civic Education Institute for Democracy (KOCEI).
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| The Vice Chairperson on the NEC Moon Sang-boo visits the UK Electoral Commission |
The NEC also participates in conferences and conferences held by international organizations and other EMBs. By gathering election officials and experts to debate important issues, we can strengthen our capacity to ensure elections are free and fair in Korea. The NEC also took the unique path of taking the lead in establishing the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB), which is an international body made up of over 100 EMBs and is in Songdo right here in Korea.
But of all the things that occupy our international affairs staff, a lot of our blood sweat and tears goes into three major events that we mostly host annually. This presidential election year we are looking to host the biggest and best international events that the NEC has seen before, and we hope you will be participating in them or following closely. So let’s take a look at the events we will be hosting in 2017.
2017 Election Visitor Program for the 19th Presidential Elections
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| Participants take photos and videos during mock counting |
Unlike traditional election observations, the NEC’s International Election Visitor Program focuses on exchanging election knowledge and experience between the NEC and participants, and among the participants themselves.
The 2017 program will last for around a week, allowing participants to be briefed before voting and to observe both early voting and the voting process on election day. The NEC will provide funding and support for participants, allowing election officials from around the world to attend and ensuring a diverse range of views on election management, and the whole program will be co-hosted with A-WEB.
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| Participants during the election day counting |
For the 20th National Assembly elections last April, The NEC and A-WEB held a similar Election Visitor Program for nearly 100 election official and members of international organizations. Participants got up close and personal with the Korean election system, going into polling and counting stations in Songdo during early voting and on election day itself and participating in mock voting, lectures and our 2016 Seoul International Forum on Elections.
It is not 24/7 business though. Participants spent the Sunday before the elections experiencing Korean culture and seeing some of the sights and sounds of Seoul. We hope that this year we will be able to welcome more participants and continue to share the Korean election management system with other experts. The official date of this year’s Presidential elections is December 20, but due to current impeachment procedures this date is subject to change.
2017 Seoul International Forum on Elections (SIFE)
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| SIFE 2016 session in full swing |
The Seoul International Forum on Elections is held in order for established experts in the field to come together to discuss issues related to election management, share ideas and debate how to make elections around the world cleaner, fairer and more inclusive.
The NEC invites some of the most prominent organizations and experts in the field of elections, including professionals from other EMBs, to speak at the forum in line with its commitment to international cooperation. SIFE is now establishing itself as an important part of the election management community calendar, with 120 participants from around the world taking part in the 2016 edition, which was held in line with the Election Visitor Program for the 20th National Assembly elections in April. It was a fantastic day with a number of experts from election organizations such as A-WEB, International IDEA and IFES presenting on crucial issues in election management.
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| Speakers from SIFE 2016 |
The 2017 forum will be one-day event, with the day split into three sessions on topics chosen by the NEC. These topics are chosen according to the trends of election management and with the input of the various departments and affiliated organizations of the NEC. The date of this year’s forum is yet to be confirmed, but may be held in line with the 2017 Election Visitor Program.
2017 Seminar for the Improvement of Election Laws and Systems
Hosted together with KOICA, The Seminar for the Improvement of Election Laws and Systems is held annually in the Autumn and aims to bring together election officials from various countries to debate and discuss topics related the election law and systems and each country. Through this discussion, the participants can review other countries’ election systems and receive feedback back on their own systems to help facilitate mutual improvement. Since 2010, 11 difference EMB’s have participated from around the world.
This year’s program will runs for a week and involves a number of sessions on topics picked by the participating EMBs. Each delegation offers a presentation on the laws and systems related to that topic during each session before discussions begin. Also, participants are invited to observe scheduled by-elections during their visit.
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| 2016 seminar participants visit the NEC |
The NEC provides funding and support for delegates and takes applications for the seminar from EMBs around the world. We will be sending out invitations to our partners later this year and we look forward to working together to host yet another excellent program.
If you have any questions about these three events, contact us on necvote@nec.go.kr
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