WASHINGTON, USA – The Organization of American States (OAS) and the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Ecuador today signed an electoral cooperation agreement, in a ceremony held at the headquarters of the hemispheric institution in Washington, D.C.
The agreement will allow for, among other things, ongoing consultation, the exchange of specialized personnel, research and publications, and the continuous training of electoral officials. The OAS Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation will make available to the CNE the experience and technical work of the hemispheric institution.
The secretary-general of the OAS, Luis Almagro, said the Organization and Ecuador have a “constructive relationship” based on a long history of electoral collaboration, with 23 OAS observation missions deployed in the South American country.
“The agreement reflects Ecuador’s continued commitment to strengthen and consolidate democratic processes, its electoral system and the institutions that comprise it. And it also reaffirms the commitment of the OAS to promote and consolidate representative democracy in the region,” said the secretary-general.
For her part, the chair of the National Electoral Council of Ecuador, Diana Atamaint, emphasized that the objective of the initiative is to improve the functioning and credibility of her country’s electoral system. “This instrument will make it possible to improve the procedures used in the organization, management and oversight of transparent and effective electoral processes, and to consolidate citizen confidence in the highest institution of suffrage,” added Atamaint.
