Concept Paper ARF Electoral Capacity Building Programme for East ...

CONCEPT PAPERASEAN Regional ForumElectoral Capacity Building Program for East TimorProposalThat the ARF:(i) Conduct an Election Visitor Program for Timor-Leste’s Election OfficialsThis would involve ARF members, on a voluntary basis, inviting Timor-Lesteelectoral officials to observe elections in their countries (local or national elections).It could also extend to inviting Timor-Leste to undertake specific election-relatedtraining (eg development of election technology or civil society education programs).This program would, ideally, be undertaken prior to the general election but wouldnot be limited to this period.(ii) Dispatch an ARF observer team to the mid-2012 Timor-Leste General ElectionIn coordination with the United Nations and other possible observer teams, the ARFcould task Expert and Eminent Persons (EEPs) Group representatives and/or Track-1officials to take part in an observation team to the 2012 general election in Timor-Leste. Participation would be on a voluntary basis.(iii) Compile an election observations documentFollowing the elections, the ARF team would compile an observations document thatcould assist Timor-Leste with its evaluation process and offer guidance to other ARFmembers conducting elections.BackgroundMinisters at the 16th ASEAN Regional Forum in July 2009 noted the matrix of relevantrecommendations from the ARF study on preventive diplomacy. Officials were mandated todevelop an ARF preventive diplomacy work plan drawing on the matrix. Item four of thematrix, establishing mechanisms on PD, suggests election monitoring as an area in which theARF might engage in PD.At the 4 th Expert and Eminent Persons’ (EEPs) Group Meeting in Bali on14-15 December 2009,Timor-Leste suggested that the ARF consider an observer role in its general elections in 2012.This suggestion was further developed at the 5 th EEPs meeting in Dili on 27-28 January 2011,with a concrete three-tier proposal for the ARF to build the capacity of Timor-Leste’s electoralprocesses.

ObjectivesThe objectives of the program would be to further consolidate Timor-Leste’s capacity toundertake elections through information sharing and networking, as part of the visitor program,and to share the lessons that Timor-Leste has learned in developing its electoral institutionsthrough an observations document compiled by an ARF observer team to the 2012 elections.This document could be drawn on by ARF participants in preparing for future elections. Theproposed program is consistent with the objectives of the ARF to develop a preventivediplomacy capacity and could be considered a contribution to any ARF Work Plan on PreventiveDiplomacy adopted by Ministers.ParticipantsARF participants would be encouraged to consult with their electoral bodies on opportunities toinvite representatives from Timor-Leste’s electoral bodies to observe local or national electionsor undertake training. The proposed observation team could comprise representatives of theARF Expert and Eminent Persons’ Group along with appropriate officials participating on avoluntary basis. The observation team would be tasked with the development of an observationsdocument that could be presented to Timor-Leste and ARF ministers upon completion. Weanticipate that the 6 th meeting of the Expert and Eminent Persons’ Group, if scheduled in January2012, could be an opportunity to prepare the observation team in advance of the mid-2012elections.Endorsement ProcessWe recommend this concept paper be considered by the ARF Inter-Sessional Support GroupMeeting in Sydney on 5-8 April 2011, followed by the Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) in June2011 in Indonesia. Subject to this consideration and recommendation by the SOM, ARFMinisters could adopt the proposal at the 18 th ARF in Bali in July.