Association of World Election Bodies (AWEB)

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12-Jul-2023: CEC Rajiv Kumar participates in the 11th meeting of the Executive Board of Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB)

Chief Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar led a three-member Election Commission of India (ECI) delegation to Cartagena, Colombia to attend the 11th meeting of the Executive Board of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB). The Association of World Election Bodies is the largest association of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) worldwide with 119 EMBs as Members & 20 Regional Associations/Organisations as Associate Members. An international conference on the theme “A global view on the challenges of regional elections 2023” is also being organised by National Civil Registry, Colombia on July 13, 2023.

During the discussions, CEC Shri Kumar said that A-WEB as a global association plays a critical role in fostering co-operation amongst EMBs and thereby enabling learning from each other’s experiences and best practices. He stressed that EMBs through forums like A-WEB could work together on pressing challenges like countering fake narratives which are trying to derail the election integrity worldwide.

During the deliberations at the Executive Board meeting, the participants discussed various agenda items including the programmes and activities to be undertaken by A-WEB during 2023-24, annual progress report of A-WEB & its regional offices including A-WEB India Centre, budget and membership related matters amongst others.

Amongst the other agenda items in the meeting, CEC Shri Rajiv Kumar raised the ECI proposals namely - (i) setting up an A-WEB portal which would serve as repository of electoral best practices and initiatives taken by member EMBs in various aspects of electoral management and (ii) establishing A-WEB Global Awards for EMBs who make significant contribution and take important initiatives in the democratic processes. Both the proposals were approved by the Executive Board.

The ECI delegation included Shri Manoj Sahoo, Deputy Election Commissioner and Shri Anuj Chandak, Joint Director. A brief presentation on the activities of the India A-WEB centre during 2022-23 was given by DEC Shri Manoj Sahoo during the meeting.

On the sidelines of the 11th A-WEB Executive Board meeting, a bilateral meeting was also held with the National Election Commission of the Republic of Korea on ECIs Electronic Postal Ballot System. India and South Korea had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2012, to establish a mutually cooperative relationship in the field of election administration.  The two EMBs have active bilateral exchanges and engagement through regular visits of officials for seminars, conferences and observer programmes. NEC also participated in the 3rd International Conference on ‘Inclusive Elections and Elections Integrity’ organised by ECI under the aegis of ‘Democracy Cohort on Elections Integrity’ in March 2023.

Background: ECI and A-WEB:

A-WEB was founded in October, 2013 in Seoul, Republic of Korea on the shared vision among its members of achieving sustainable democracy around the world through the strengthening of the processes of election management in member countries.  ECI has been very closely associated with the process of formation of A-WEB since 2011-12 and has been its Executive Board Member, since its inception in October 2013 for two consecutive terms (2013-15 and 2015-17). ECI took over as Vice-Chairperson of A-WEB for 2017-19 term; as Chair for 2019-22 term and is presently a member of its Executive Board for 2022-24 in its capacity as immediate former Chair of A-WEB. It may be recalled that in November 2022 during the 5th General Assembly meeting of A-WEB at Cape Town, Chief Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar handed over the A-WEB Chairmanship from ECI to Election Commission of South Africa, after leading the EMBs successfully during the covid pandemic (2019-2022).

A-WEB organises capacity building programmes for its member EMBs and undertakes Election Visitor and Observation Programmes in various countries to study election management practices and share knowledge with other member EMBs. 

India A-WEB Centre:

As per the decision taken at the meeting of the A-WEB Executive Board held at Bengaluru in Sep 2019, an India A-WEB Centre has been established at New Delhi for documentation and research for sharing the best practices and training and capacity building of officials of A-WEB members.  The Centre is bringing out several publications and documents, including a world class Journal titled ‘A-WEB India Journal of Elections.’ The ECI is providing all the necessary resources for the India A-WEB Centre.

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12-Jul-2023: CEC Rajiv Kumar participates in the 11th meeting of the Executive Board of Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB)

Chief Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar led a three-member Election Commission of India (ECI) delegation to Cartagena, Colombia to attend the 11th meeting of the Executive Board of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB). The Association of World Election Bodies is the largest association of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) worldwide with 119 EMBs as Members & 20 Regional Associations/Organisations as Associate Members. An international conference on the theme “A global view on the challenges of regional elections 2023” is also being organised by National Civil Registry, Colombia on July 13, 2023.

During the discussions, CEC Shri Kumar said that A-WEB as a global association plays a critical role in fostering co-operation amongst EMBs and thereby enabling learning from each other’s experiences and best practices. He stressed that EMBs through forums like A-WEB could work together on pressing challenges like countering fake narratives which are trying to derail the election integrity worldwide.

During the deliberations at the Executive Board meeting, the participants discussed various agenda items including the programmes and activities to be undertaken by A-WEB during 2023-24, annual progress report of A-WEB & its regional offices including A-WEB India Centre, budget and membership related matters amongst others.

Amongst the other agenda items in the meeting, CEC Shri Rajiv Kumar raised the ECI proposals namely - (i) setting up an A-WEB portal which would serve as repository of electoral best practices and initiatives taken by member EMBs in various aspects of electoral management and (ii) establishing A-WEB Global Awards for EMBs who make significant contribution and take important initiatives in the democratic processes. Both the proposals were approved by the Executive Board.

The ECI delegation included Shri Manoj Sahoo, Deputy Election Commissioner and Shri Anuj Chandak, Joint Director. A brief presentation on the activities of the India A-WEB centre during 2022-23 was given by DEC Shri Manoj Sahoo during the meeting.

On the sidelines of the 11th A-WEB Executive Board meeting, a bilateral meeting was also held with the National Election Commission of the Republic of Korea on ECIs Electronic Postal Ballot System. India and South Korea had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2012, to establish a mutually cooperative relationship in the field of election administration.  The two EMBs have active bilateral exchanges and engagement through regular visits of officials for seminars, conferences and observer programmes. NEC also participated in the 3rd International Conference on ‘Inclusive Elections and Elections Integrity’ organised by ECI under the aegis of ‘Democracy Cohort on Elections Integrity’ in March 2023.

Background: ECI and A-WEB:

A-WEB was founded in October, 2013 in Seoul, Republic of Korea on the shared vision among its members of achieving sustainable democracy around the world through the strengthening of the processes of election management in member countries.  ECI has been very closely associated with the process of formation of A-WEB since 2011-12 and has been its Executive Board Member, since its inception in October 2013 for two consecutive terms (2013-15 and 2015-17). ECI took over as Vice-Chairperson of A-WEB for 2017-19 term; as Chair for 2019-22 term and is presently a member of its Executive Board for 2022-24 in its capacity as immediate former Chair of A-WEB. It may be recalled that in November 2022 during the 5th General Assembly meeting of A-WEB at Cape Town, Chief Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar handed over the A-WEB Chairmanship from ECI to Election Commission of South Africa, after leading the EMBs successfully during the covid pandemic (2019-2022).

A-WEB organises capacity building programmes for its member EMBs and undertakes Election Visitor and Observation Programmes in various countries to study election management practices and share knowledge with other member EMBs. 

India A-WEB Centre:

As per the decision taken at the meeting of the A-WEB Executive Board held at Bengaluru in Sep 2019, an India A-WEB Centre has been established at New Delhi for documentation and research for sharing the best practices and training and capacity building of officials of A-WEB members.  The Centre is bringing out several publications and documents, including a world class Journal titled ‘A-WEB India Journal of Elections.’ The ECI is providing all the necessary resources for the India A-WEB Centre.

2019

1-Sep-2019: ECI to host the 4th General Assembly of Association of World Election Bodies at Bengaluru

The Election Commission of India is scheduled to host the 4th General Assembly of Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) at Bengaluru on 3rd September 2019. India will take over as A-WEB’s Chair for the 2019-21 term. Over 50 countries across the globe will join the meeting at Bengaluru from 02nd to 04th September, 2019. An International Conference on “Initiatives and Challenges of Social Media and Information Technology in Elections” will also be held on 04th September, 2019.

The Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) is the largest association of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) worldwide. A-WEB was established on October 14, 2013 in Song-do, South Korea. The permanent secretariat of A-WEB is located at Seoul. A-WEB’s vision is to foster efficiency and effectiveness in conducting free, fair, transparent and participative elections worldwide. Its activities are guided by its mission to identify latest trends, challenges and developments in democratic electoral management and electoral processes and to facilitate appropriate exchange of experience and expertise among members with the objective of strengthening electoral democracy worldwide.

Election Commission of India has been very closely associated with the process of formation of A-WEB since 2011-12. ECI has been its Executive Board Member since AWEB's inception in October 2013 for two consecutive terms (2013-15 and 2015-17). At the last A-WEB General Assembly held in Bucharest on 31st August, 2017, Romania took over as Chair and ECI was unanimously elected as Vice-Chair of A-WEB 2017-19. India is all set to take over as Chair now for the 2019-21 term.

At present A-WEB has 115 EMBs as Members & 20 Regional Associations/Organisations as Associate Members. 24 EMBs from Asia, 37 from Africa, 31 from America, 17 from Europe &  6 from Oceania presently are members of A WEB. ECI will continue to remain on the Executive Board of A-WEB for 2021-23 in its capacity as immediate former Chair of A-WEB.

The current Executive Board of AWEB 2017-19 has 21 members wherein Dominican Republic as the Immediate Past Chair; 5 members from Africa namely Burkina Faso/Guinea/Kenya/Malawi/Tunisia; 4 members from Americas -Argentina/Colombia/El Salvador/Paraguay; 4 members from Asia - Bangladesh/Palestine/Taiwan/Uzbekistan; 3 members from Europe - Albania/Belarus/Croatia and Fiji as the member from Oceania are included.

Over 120 Participants from more than 50 countries across the globe will join the AWEB events scheduled in Bengaluru from 02nd to 04th September, 2019. By far this is the largest congregation of EMB delegates in India. Meeting of the Executive Board of A-WEB will be held on 02 Sep. 2019; Next day on Tuesday, the 3rd September, General Assembly of A-WEB will be held where India will take over as Chair of A-WEB for 2019-2021 term. Chief Election Commissioner of India Shri. Sunil Arora would preside over the General Assembly meeting. Detailed deliberations at the A-WEB General Assembly include discussion on Challenges and future of furthering partnership amongst EMBs;  appointment of office bearers; programmes and activities to be undertaken by A-WEB during 2020, etc.

On the 4th of September, an International Conference on “Initiatives and Challenges of Social Media and Information Technology in Elections" will be held. Eleven countries namely Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia - Herzegovina, Cameroon, Malawi, Mauritius, Palestine, Romania, Russia, Sierra Leone and Togo would make their presentations on the subject.

A-WEB was founded with the shared vision among its members of achieving sustainable democracy around the world. A-WEB aims at strengthening the processes of election management in member countries. Since, its inception A-WEB has undertaken election ICT Programmes in various countries like Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Fiji, Papua Guinea and Samoa. A-WEB also undertakes Election Visitor and Observation Programmes in various countries to study various election management practices and share knowledge with other Member of EMBs. The association has organized such EVPs to Bosnia & Herzegovina, Ecuador. The A-WEB Secretariat also undertakes Election Management Capacity Building Programme for the officials from Member EMBs. Since 2014, it has conducted more than 89 programmes for over 645 participants from over 70 countries.