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The United Nations 'Technical Assistance Role in the January 30' elections:

The United Nations advised and supported the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) to deliver credible and inclusive elections. The responsibility for organizing and overseeing the January 30 transitional elections rested with the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI). This body was established in May 2004 and is composed of 9 Commissioners, seven of whom are Iraqi voting members, and has a non-voting Iraqi Chief Electoral Officer. Carlos Valenzuela, a non-voting international member was appointed by the UN Secretary General to also lead the international team of experts to help the Iraqi Electoral Commission.

The United Nations have been involved in the following activities to support the January 30 Iraqi elections:

Coordination of International Technical Assistance
More than USD 100 million were disbursed from a UN Elections Trust Fund to help the IECI organize the upcoming elections. In accordance with SCR 1546, the UN took a lead role in coordinating the assistance of the international community for the upcoming elections. This included tasks such as supporting the drafting of polling regulations, as well as facilitating the delivery of three million tons of elections materials, including ballot boxes, ballots, and specialized information technology equipment

Operation Planning and Support
The UN had several electoral experts working within the IECI to assist in planning the staging of the election so that delays were minimized and international standards were met. The UN also advised and assisted the IECI on the logistical aspects of setting up operations and delivering vital equipment.


Strategic Planning and Advice
The UN directly advised the IECI on the available options for key decisions its members needed to make for the organization of the vote. The main concerns ranged from the timing of elections to how best to achieve standards of a credible and fair election.

Information Technology Support
A team of UN experts worked with the IECI and Iraqi officials to prepare, design and update the main voter register system.

Electoral Regulations and Procedures
The electoral framework required the development of extensive regulations and polling procedures. The UN provided advice and continued support to the IECI to elaborate these regulations and procedures so that international standards were achieved.

Capacity Development
Capacity building is the task of establishing and expanding the capabilities of the indigenous institution towards self-sustainable operation. The development of the capacity of the senior Iraqi electoral staff to carry out the work of the IECI was essential for the conduct of elections. The UN trained senior officials in electoral and administrative work, and continued to support them in their day-to-day tasks in an advisory role.
The UN has supported the Independent Election Commission of Iraq by helping to:

• train the IECI Commissioners on elections systems with the assistance of electoral experts from nine countries

• develop he IECI’s internal rules, regulations and procedures, including political entity certification

• establish a preliminary voter register and train officials on registration procedures

Training
The UN trained senior officials from the national elections office on elections procedures and registration operations. It also helped develop training materials on electoral procedures and regulations and trained Iraqis on the delivery of these materials. Under UN and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy auspices, more than 90 Iraqi elections officials completed training in Jordan to carry out activities vital to the January 2005 poll. Four groups of participants were briefed in separate workshops over three weeks on how to set up and manage polling stations and procedures, carry out the counting process, and develop elections and polling day education materials. They were also introduced to civic education methods to better explain the polling process to citizens. As a result of this project, the 94 core polling and civic education trainer returned to Iraq to launch a cascade training process. As part of an indirect support to the electoral process, the UN also supported an electoral observation project and media training for Iraqi journalists covering polling day activities.

Public Information
The UN advised and supported the IECI on the development and production of information campaigns directed at voters. These included voter education campaigns to inform Iraqis on how to exercise their political rights in the electoral process. Television, newspaper and radio advertisements and public debates are all features of those campaigns. As part of the support provided to IECI, civic education handbooks and flipcharts with illustrations were also produced as public information tools. These materials were designed to encourage discussion in face to face activities and include information about the establishment of the IECI, these elections' context, the electoral system and the National Assembly's functions.

Note! Questions concerning the content of this section can be directed to the UNAMI Office in Amman through the feedback form.
 

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