Project profile — Canadian Electoral Support Program in Latin America and the Caribbean

• America, regional (100.00%)

• Democratic participation and civil society:
Democratic participation and civil society (15150) (40.00%)
Elections (15151) (50.00%)
Media and free flow of information (15153) (5.00%)
Human rights (15160) (5.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (principal objective)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Nutrition (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

This project aims to improve enjoyment of human rights, including the poorest and most marginalized people, particularly women, in legitimate and transparent electoral processes that are aligned with international standards in Latin American and the Caribbean. The Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation (DECO) aims to address two major challenges related to electoral processes; (1) strengthening the institutional capacities of electoral bodies to achieve more effective and inclusive administration of electoral processes; and (2) reinforcing the role of civil society in electoral processes and oversight, including women’s rights organizations. DECO supports the work of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) to implement electoral technical cooperation initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Project activities include: (1) Electoral Management Bodies training; (2) systematization of electoral observation missions’ recommendations; (3) workshops on disinformation practices; (4) civic education on women and girls’ participation in electoral practices; and (5) training sessions to civil society organizations on electoral observation methodologies.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved performance of electoral management bodies to better do their jobs while making it easier for women and the poorest, most vulnerable people to vote; (2) increased opportunities for individuals and civil society to equitably participate in oversight of electoral processes, particularly women’s rights organizations; and (3) improved awareness of approximately 120 electoral management bodies officials and legislative authorities; 230 women’s rights and civil society organizations, researchers, academics and university students; and 120 women (candidates, civil society members, election officials) on violence against women in electoral processes.

Results achieved as of March 2024 include: (1) reviewed 84 electoral observation methodology reports to categorize 2600 recommendations on electoral organization, electoral technology, women’s political participation, participation of Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, political financing, electoral justice, media, and electoral violence; (2) completed 6 technical cooperation projects with electoral management boards in Ecuador, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Peru with recommendations. They aimed at incorporating gender equality, better responding to disinformation issues in the electoral context, internet voting and electoral technology; (3) organized 4 workshops on electoral disinformation, women’s political participation, political financing, mediation and artificial intelligence with 209 participants (130 women and 79 men); (4) held 2 trainings on electoral observation methodologies with civil society organizations from Brazil and Jamaica with 113 participants (83 women and 30 men) and a training on violence against women with 66 participants (47 women, 19 men); (5) held 8 meetings with the High-Level Group for strengthening Women’s Political Participation with legislative and executive authorities from the Dominican Republic along with civil society organizations to discuss the implementation of recommendations from previous electoral observation missions on women’s political participation; and (6) organized, in partnership with Elections Canada, the XVI Inter-American Meeting of Electoral Management Bodies (Ottawa, September 25th and 26th, 2023), bringing together 49 delegates from 31 electoral bodies of 27 OAS member states.

• Proactive disclosure