Paulina Chavez
Press Secretary
[email protected]
December 12, 2025
Geneva, Switzerland - Electoral integrity and election observation are under threat as never before as autocrats around the world undermine basic freedoms to maintain political power. In response, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) convened with 38 other leading international organizations in Geneva to publicly reaffirm their commitment to advance genuine democratic elections and to global standards for election observation at the 20th Anniversary of the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation (Declaration of Principles or DoP).
The 20th Anniversary of the Declaration of Principles marks an urgent opportunity to reinforce the importance of evidence-based international election observation in light of heightened attempts to undermine citizens' right to freely choose their political leaders. The organizations in Geneva reaffirmed their endorsement of the DoP and reasserted the principles at its heart: that international election observation is conducted for the benefit of citizens whose country is holding elections; that it demonstrates the international community’s support for genuine democratic elections; that international observation examines process and is not concerned with any particular electoral outcome; and that it is undertaken with respect for the sovereignty of the country holding elections and for the human rights of the people of the country. The DoP also recognizes the valuable role played by credible nonpartisan citizen observers, and calls upon international observers to cooperate with and support their efforts.
“Democracy and democratically run elections are the bedrock of good governance and NDI remains fully committed to both international and citizen election observation and to the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Principles” said NDI’s Board Member Amb. Johnnie Carson, who attended the meeting in Geneva on behalf of the Institute. “We will continue to work with the international community and local partners to safeguard elections, build and strengthen political and civic organizations, and promote citizen participation and accountability in government.”
NDI played a pivotal role in the creation of the Declaration of Principles in 2005, working closely with the United Nations, through its Electoral Assistance Division, and The Carter Center, as well as in close consultation with peer organizations. The DoP establishes a global framework for expert, impartial, independent and standards-driven international election observation. There were 21 organizations endorsing the DoP at its launch twenty years ago; today, the declaration has 54 endorsements from multilateral organizations, international non-governmental organizations, and spanning every region of the world—a testament to the enduring impact of international election observation for democracy everywhere.
“We just witnessed in Honduras the critical role that international and citizen observers play in protecting the right to vote and ensuring that elections reflect the will of the people. The global standards formulated 20 years ago are more important than ever as elections face new challenges like malign interference from Russia and China or the use of genAI in elections,” said NDI President, Tamara Cofman Wittes. “NDI is proud to have helped establish this framework and even prouder to advance these principles alongside partners worldwide to strengthen the fundamental right of citizens to freely choose their leaders.”
The Declaration of Principles was formally launched in 2005 at the United Nations by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan; former President Jimmy Carter (The Carter Center), former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (NDI) and José Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS). Speaking at the launch, Albright, then Chairperson of NDI, stated that international observers have “exposed fraud, mitigated conflicts, validated legitimate winners and, above all, given voters a reason to believe that going to the polls makes a difference.” The 20th Anniversary meeting of the DoP community was hosted by the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division (UNEAD) in Geneva, Switzerland, December 10 to 12, 2025.
Election observation, both international and citizen, enhances participation, transparency and accountability in elections. It helps to ensure that: all parties and candidates can campaign freely; all voters have confidence to go to the polls; and election authorities carry out their duties impartially. Election observers deter electoral fraud and call it out to the citizens of a country and the whole world when it does occur. Election observation is a global effort undertaken by multilateral institutions, international non-governmental organizations, regional bodies and local civic organizations.
Over four decades, NDI has conducted international election observation missions and supported nonpartisan citizen election observers across more than 250 elections in every region of the world.
