The UN and UNDP in Brussels

EC-UNDP Partnership on Electoral Assistance

On 28 June 2004, UNDP and the European Commission (EC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA), which focuses on democratic governance - including parliamentary support, governance indicators, conflict prevention, post-conflict reconstruction and electoral assistance - as well as conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction.

The EC and UNDP have been collaborating in the field of electoral assistance since 1995. However, the collaboration intensified toward the end of 2004, when the two parties agreed to jointly support the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This led in 2006 to the signature of the ‘Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of Electoral Assistance Programmes and Projects’, which were reviewed and updated in December 2008.

The EC-UNDP partnership in electoral assistance is a unique form of collaboration between the two organizations because of its scope, ambitions and achievements. It builds on solid experience, specific attention to the lessons learned in previous projects and a mutual understanding of the approaches, roles and capacities of each party.

The partnership has been increasingly valuable for countries organizing elections, with more rational interventions and all activities formulated, implemented and monitored in line with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. The resulting projects are more effective, sustainable and in harmony with overall EU and UN objectives. Project implementation relies on a better coordination of services among Brussels, New York and Copenhagen, which is achieved through the work carried out by the Joint EC-UNDP Task Force, coordinated by the UN/UNDP Brussels Office. The JTF’s tasks include monitoring missions; face-to-face training and e-learning courses; the development of books and guidelines; and the collection and dissemination of lessons learned for specialized electoral networks.

The partnership is now contributing to enhanced management among EC and UNDP services, Electoral Management Bodies, multilateral and bilateral development agencies, partner country governments, civil society organizations, political parties, media and all relevant service providers. The proper management of these delicate relationships is essential for the provision of effective electoral assistance and requires the development of skills extending beyond technical advice and financial support.

A meeting of the SPA review between the EC and UNDP was held in Brussels in December 2007, with UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis and the relevant EC services from the General Directorates of Development, External Relations and EuropeAid attending. The parties recognized that electoral assistance has become one of the flagship services of the SPA and agreed to extend their collaboration in other related governance-related areas such as parliamentary support, justice and security sector reform. The UNDP Brussels office is taking a lead role in the field of parliamentary development through the Global Programme for Parliamentary Strengthening (GPPS), which was set up in 1999 and is supported by the Belgian government. The GPPS, which is entering its third phase, is the main vehicle for UNDP support to parliaments and for practice development in this area.

Joint EC-UNDP Task Force on Electoral Assistance
C/O : UN/UNDP Brussels Office
Ground Floor
14 Rue Montoyer - 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 2138105- Fax: +32 2 5034729
Url: www.ec-undp-electoralassistance.org
email: info@ec-undp-electoralassistance.org