Many post-conflict countries are governed by transitional political arrangements until the first elections are held. National authorities are often appointed rather than elected and are put in place through a brokered agreement by the parties to the conflict. Thus, they may not be fully representative of or recognized by the population.^[1] The holding of peaceful and credible elections and the creation of a sustainable electoral management body is thus a vital part of a political transition, as well as an important element in the promotion and protection of human rights. As such, elections are often an integral part of the political settlement and constitute an important benchmark in the peace process. As these elections often take place in a context with a history of violence, the mission and national actors (based on conflict systems analysis) need to mitigate risks and strengthen the conditions for democracy and sustainable peace. Thus, elections need to be accompanied by a range of other actions, such as the consolidation of political parties, the development of local democracy and the promotion of free media, grassroots-level empowerment and a vibrant civil society.

While the peaceful conduct of elections is a significant event in the transition to recovery and long-term stability, it is only one element in this process and should not automatically lead to the withdrawal of the peacekeeping mission. Efforts to enhance governance should seek to address legacies of deep mistrust between the government and marginalized groups, helping to repair what is often a broken relationship. The pre- and post-election periods are also likely to entail a spike in activity for the mission, as tensions may rise. Furthermore, most multidimensional operations are mandated to provide active support in a variety of ways to the preparation and conduct of the vote.

In planning its support, the MLT should prioritize respecting and monitoring the compliance of stakeholders with the various political agreements that underpin the holding of national elections. Failure to abide by these agreements can undermine the conduct of elections.

Alongside the political effort, a security plan that fits into the overall electoral plan should be developed, involving the mission’s military and police assets.^[2] In addition, the mission must ensure that the international community supports its electoral-assistance efforts at the political, financial and logistical levels.

3.5.1 Operational activities

The activities of the mission to support this output include:

• Advising on the type of electoral system to be implemented.
• Supporting creation of the security-related conditions to allow for peaceful and credible elections to take place, including through demining.
• Supporting the conduct of voter registration.
• Providing technical assistance, such as legal advice, training of election staff and assistance with developing dispute-resolution mechanisms.
• Conducting public information campaigns about the electoral process.
• Handling and defusing threats to the political and electoral process posed by spoilers.
• Collaborating with other UN agencies to design electoral assistance projects.
• Providing security and logistics support during the election process, including moving and securing electoral materiel.
• Planning for domestic and international observation of elections.
• Providing political and technical support to the process of government formation.

3.5.3 Responsibilities and coordination

Depending on its mandate, the mission can play an important role in assisting in the organization of elections by providing international expertise and by placing logistical and security assets at the disposal of the national authorities. However, this presents a dilemma in terms of capacity building and cost-effectiveness, since the shorter the time for preparations, the greater the pressure will be for the mission to take a lead in this area (for example, by distributing election materials). In addition, the mission should play a leading role in coordinating donor and international support for the elections and, if this is not already the case, seek to have this included as part of its Security Council mandate. This is required in order to create coherent support for the elections, which are fundamentally a complex logistical and security exercise that requires an integrated effort.

Close contact should be maintained with DPPA’s Electoral Assistance Division, which provides support to the focal point for electoral- assistance activities (currently the USG for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs). The focal point is responsible for ensuring UN system-wide coherence and consistency in the provision of electoral assistance.

Within the mission, efforts to support elections are often led by an electoral component, which should work closely with and coordinate the activities of all other relevant components. These may include the military and police components, the Political, Civil Affairs, Public Information, and Human Rights sections, as well as other relevant UN agencies. In view of the political significance of and sensitivities associated with elections, the mission leadership, especially the HoM, should be actively engaged throughout the process.

3.5.4 Resources

Peacekeeping operations, which often have significant resources at their disposal, can play an important role in supporting a national electoral management body. This includes the provision of logistical resources for the transportation and storage of electoral material. Even more importantly, with its military and police assets, the mission plays a vital role in supporting and maintaining a secure and stable environment for the conduct of elections. In all of its efforts, maximum attention should be paid to building national capacity and encouraging sustainability and cost-effectiveness.