Elections In the 1990 Copenhagen Document, the OSCE participating States declared “that the will of the people, freely and fairly expressed through periodic and genuine elections, is the basis of the authority and legitimacy of all government.” OSCE commitments also place elections in the broader context of genuine political pluralism; respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, such as the freedoms of assembly, association and expression; the rule of law and an independent judiciary; institutional checks and balances; an active civil society; and free media. Election observation is recognized in the OSCE community as an important instrument in assisting participating States in conducting genuine and democratic elections. ODIHR has received a strong mandate from the OSCE participating States to observe elections, and this mandate has consistently been elaborated, detailed and broadened. ODIHR’s well-established and widely respected methodology for election observation has served as a solid basis for its activities. The Office continuously strives to further strengthen it by exploring new areas and developing handbooks on emerging electoral issues. As mandated by the participating States, ODIHR carries out its activities impartially, objectively, professionally and transparently. It ensures as wide a geographical coverage as possible in its election activities and continues to diversify the composition of its observation and assessment teams. Having observed the 2013 presidential election in the OSCE’s newest participating State, Mongolia, ODIHR has now observed or assessed elections in 56 of the 57 participating States. In its observation activities, ODIHR continues to encounter commendable practices and efforts by the participating States to uphold and further citizens’ election-related rights. However, alongside these positive trends, ODIHR also notes that a number of issues continue to pose challenges for some OSCE participating States that can negatively impact or infringe upon fundamental rights and freedoms. Observation activities have been key to determining and analysing these trends, with recommendations from observation efforts providing a solid basis for post-election engagement. ODIHR’s observation efforts are supplemented by other activities to promote democratic elections and the implementation of OSCE commitments. The Office has been stepping up its efforts to engage with participating States in follow-up to its recommendations. Visits to present and discuss final election observation reports have become regular practice. ODIHR also continues to support legislative-review processes by providing opinions on election legislation or drafts and by contributing to expert discussions. ODIHR Annual Report 2013  /   9