The Joint EC UNDP Task Force has in the last four years established a solid and effective collaboration with the International IDEA . The common aim is influencing international policies on electoral assistance through strategic partnerships among key development actors and stakeholders such as donor forums inspired to the principles enshrined in the Paris and Accra Declarations on Aid Effectiveness.

The Joint EC UNDP Task Force and International IDEA have jointly developed the strategic approach that favours long term involvement and takes into consideration the full electoral cycle, and have already contributed significantly to a paradigmatic policy shift in the way electoral assistance is designed, as well as helped change the focus of national and international stakeholders from the electoral day to the entire process that precedes and follows an election.

The collaboration on effective electoral assistance continues through the “Train 4 Dev” partnership and through promoting the linkages between electoral assistance, democracy development and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The adoption of new long-term policies of assistance needs now to be fully proven in the practical implementation of electoral assistance programmes on the ground through a more beneficiary-driven approach, increased credibility in electoral processes and longer-term development objectives. The challenges related to the implementation of effective electoral assistance principles in post-conflict or fragile states will be given specific attention.

In addition, and as mentioned in several parts on this web site, the EC, UNDP and IDEA also collaborate on several global tools in electoral assistance such as:

• ACE, The Electoral Knowledge Network;
• EC-UNDP-IDEA Joint Training on Effective Electoral Assistance;
• Global Training Platform on Effective Electoral Assistance;
• BRIDGE Project;
• ICT Study on Civil and Voter Registration Synergie.

Read more about:

• International IDEA;
• IDEA’s work on electoral processes.