International Election Monitors Institute
Encyclopedia
The International Election Monitors Institute is an association of former Members of the United States Congress
(Senate and House of Representatives), the Canadian Parliament and the European Parliament
, "to provide former legislators as election observers to operate worldwide in collaboration with other democracy-building organizations".
, particularly in emerging democracies.
The Institute was established in June, 2006, as a joint project of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians
, the United States Association of Former Members of Congress
, and the European Parliament Former Members Association
. The intial goal was to "establish and operate an International Election Monitors Institute, which manages a dedicated and professional program to recruit, train, and arrange for the deployment of former parliamentarians from the three organizations". In addition to election monitoring, a goal of the Institute is to "work with governmental and non-governmental partners on post-election democracy-building endeavours, in countries where the Institute has observed elections". The Institute works with other monitoring organizations, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Carter Center
. The Institute has offices in Washington, Brussels and Ottawa, and has endorsed the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation.
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
(Senate and House of Representatives), the Canadian Parliament and the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, "to provide former legislators as election observers to operate worldwide in collaboration with other democracy-building organizations".
History
The International Election Monitors Institute contributes to election monitoringElection monitoring
Election monitoring is the observation of an election by one or more independent parties, typically from another country or a non-governmental organization , primarily to assess the conduct of an election process on the basis of national legislation and international standards. There are national...
, particularly in emerging democracies.
The Institute was established in June, 2006, as a joint project of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians
Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians
The Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians is a non-profit organization, established by an Act of the Parliament of Canada, the membership of which is composed of former members of the Senate or House of Commons of Canada.-History:...
, the United States Association of Former Members of Congress
United States Association of Former Members of Congress
The United States Association of Former Members of Congress is a non-partisan, non-profit association of former Members of the United States Congress, founded in 1970 and chartered by the United States Congress in 1980.-Objectives and Activities:...
, and the European Parliament Former Members Association
European Parliament Former Members Association
The European Parliament Former Members Association is an Association of former members of the European Parliament, involved in promoting the European Parliament and the European Union, as well as election monitoring, among other activities.-History:...
. The intial goal was to "establish and operate an International Election Monitors Institute, which manages a dedicated and professional program to recruit, train, and arrange for the deployment of former parliamentarians from the three organizations". In addition to election monitoring, a goal of the Institute is to "work with governmental and non-governmental partners on post-election democracy-building endeavours, in countries where the Institute has observed elections". The Institute works with other monitoring organizations, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Carter Center
Carter Center
The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. In partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center works to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering...
. The Institute has offices in Washington, Brussels and Ottawa, and has endorsed the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation.