Elections Radmila Šekerinska (c), the head of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission for the 6 May parliamentary elections in Armenia, speaking during a press conference in Yerevan, 7 May 2012. (OSCE/Thomas Rymer) variety of election-related issues, from amendments to legal frameworks to electoral procedures and administration. ODIHR also regularly sends its staff and independent experts to participate in key events related to the electoral process, including official working groups on issues such as electoral-law reform. OSCE field operations play an important role in longer-term election-related technical assistance. Targeted technical assistance programmes delivered by OSCE field missions, if designed in a manner that effectively addresses previous ODIHR recommendations, can represent an important complement to ODIHR’s work. Follow-up to observation missions For a number of years, ODIHR has been engaging more proactively in follow-up with participating States to continue the election dialogue after completion of an election observation activity. The Office has also established the practice of formally presenting its final reports and the recommendations contained therein during a two-to-three day visit to the respective participating State. Such follow-up activities were conducted in a range of OSCE participating States and one Partner for Co-operation Country in 2012. ODIHR officially presented final reports to and discussed its recommendations with the authorities and other stakeholders in Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Finland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, Slovenia, Serbia and Spain. In 2012, ODIHR for the first time piloted an attempt to plan and conduct follow-up in close co-operation with the members of the Declaration of Principles group to promote greater synergies. In addition, ODIHR staff members and experts regularly participated in official working groups and roundtables on issues such as electoral-law reform, voter registration and women’s participation, for example in Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Advice on new voting technologies and the voter registration process was provided during visits to Albania and Moldova. During the recent process of electoral reform in Albania, ODIHR co-operated closely with the OSCE Presence in Albania in supporting that work. The post-election period provides an opportunity for participating States to benefit from ODIHR election observation recommendations through an active follow-up process. These recommendations can assist participating States in meeting their commitments to conduct democratic elections. ODIHR Annual Report 2012 15