International Cooperation of Electoral Authorities: case study of the Inter-American Union of Electoral Bodies

Annotation

The relevance of the study stems from the insufficient examination of interactions among electoral management bodies within multilateral platforms as a distinct format of electoral diplomacy. The article aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the activities of the Inter-American Union of Electoral Bodies (UNIORE), focusing on its history, organizational structure, and practical implementation of functions. The methodological framework includes analytical methods and a case study approach. The sources comprise UNIORE’s founding documents, conference and mission materials, as well as scholarly works on analogous organizations. The findings indicate that UNIORE, established in 1991, is a non-governmental structure uniting state electoral bodies and operating through «soft coordination» mechanisms, adopting non-binding recommendations. The organization’s most significant function is international election observation (over 320 missions), covering the entire electoral cycle: pre-electoral phase, election day, and post-electoral assessment. A specialized online observer school has been created to professionalize observation. The functions of establishing international electoral standards and participating in the drafting of electoral legislation are not typical for UNIORE. The organization’s activities enhance the legitimacy of electoral processes and facilitate knowledge exchange among national electoral administrations while respecting the sovereignty of member states.

Keywords

• Inter-American Union of Electoral Bodies
• international electoral cooperation
• election observation
• electoral monitoring
• electoral management bodies
• soft coordination
• electoral cycle
• observer missions
• electoral diplomacy
• democratic institutions
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Contribution of the authors

Amburtsev R. A. – development of the research concept, revision of the text, conclusions; Kondrin M. D. – collection and processing of materials, search for published sources, writing the source text.

References

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