ELECTIONS Tana de Zulueta (l), Head of the ODIHR election observation mission for the 25 May early presidential elections in Ukraine, and Michael Georg Link (r), Director of ODIHR, taking part in the discussion of follow-up to the report at the roundtable event in Kyiv, 14 July. OSCE/Victor E. Glasko Follow-Up to Observation Missions and their Recommendations Election observation is not an end in itself, but rather an activity meant to assist participating States in implementing their election-related commitments and improving electoral practices. This provides an opportunity for ODIHR to engage with participating States after an election through a range of activities to follow-up on recommendations stemming from ODIHR’s comprehensive final reports. In 2014, ODIHR was invited to and visited Georgia, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine to present its reports and meet with relevant stakeholders, including state institutions, political parties and civil society. In particular, follow-up visits to Georgia, Tajikistan and Ukraine included roundtable discussions that assembled numerous electoral participants and facilitated a more inclusive electoral reform process. ODIHR also hosted follow-up discussions with representatives from Iceland and Norway at its office in Warsaw. These various meetings offered important opportunities to discuss ODIHR findings and recommendations, provide clarification and learn about any plans for implementation. Several of these follow-up activities helped identify possible next steps and entry points for further engagement. Tajikistan presented ongoing and planned activities to address ODIHR’s recommendations; Turkmenistan considered conducting thematic workshops on specific electoral issues; Iceland expressed interest in the Office’s expertise on campaign finance and the complaints and appeals process; and Norway stated interest to further engage on issues related to electoral dispute resolution. Beyond presenting its final reports, ODIHR also participated in roundtables and seminars in Albania, Georgia and Uzbekistan, and more broadly supports states in various activities aimed at implementing its recommendations in line with OSCE commitments. ODIHR Annual Report 2014 17