International IDEA strengthens cooperation with the Dominican Republic, OAS and AWEB
STOCKHOLM - International IDEA Secretary-General Yves Leterme is on a working visit to Santo Domingo from 15-21 August. Accompanied by International IDEA Latin America and the Caribbean Director, Daniel Zovatto, the Secretary-General is set to meet with key officials from the Dominican Republic, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Association of World Election Bodies (AWEB).
The Secretary-General is meeting the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Andrés Navarro and the President himself, Mr. Danilo Medina. Discussions during the meeting will focus on supporting cooperation by building on the existing joint activities by International IDEA and the Central Electoral Board, which include support in the areas of political financing, electronic voting and gender. The Dominican Republic is an active promoter of democracy worldwide and has been a member of International IDEA since 2010.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) will also be signed between the OAS and International IDEA. The MOU focuses on the promotion and consolidation of representative democracy and renews the existing cooperation between the two organizations, particularly under the new leadership of OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro. International IDEA has partnered with the OAS and supported its work in promoting its Inter-American Charter on Democracy and through the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy, where the OAS is a co-founding participant.
During this visit, the Secretary-General Leterme will also deliver the keynote address at the 2nd General Assembly and World Conference of AWEB, which has the theme, “Role of Challenges of the Electoral Bodies to Guarantee the Integrity of Elections”. International IDEA has been cooperating with AWEB even during its inception. It is now moving toward enhancing that relationship with an MoU, which will be signed at the sidelines of this World Conference.
