confidence is considered a prerequisite for the introduction of new election technologies. This issue was high on the agenda of the OSCE’s Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on Challenges of Election Technologies and Procedures, held in April in Vienna. The participants recommended that, in order to address this challenge, the ODIHR convene a meeting of experts to discuss the relevant issues related to automated or electronic voting and Internet voting, with the aim of further developing observation methodology for such new technologies. Following up on this recommendation, the ODIHR will launch a project in 2006 that is aimed at developing guidelines for the observation of electronic voting. Monitoring the participation of women in the OSCE/ALEX NITZSCHE Elections electoral process The ODIHR published Russian- and Serbianlanguage versions of its Handbook for Monitoring Women’s Participation in Elections in 2005. This handbook sets out practical steps that each election observation mission can take to integrate a gender perspective into its work. It is intended to ensure that, when drawing conclusions about the extent to which an election process meets OSCE commitments and reflects universal principles, each election observation mission takes fully into account how the process affects both women and men. The ODIHR also sent gender experts to election observation missions to parliamentary elections in Albania, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Moldova. IV. Follow-up The ODIHR has been developing methods for engaging participating States on matters of postelection follow-up to facilitate implementation of recommendations contained in ODIHR final reports. The ODIHR has made it a regular practice for its Director to deliver final reports to the authorities, and the Office engages in constructive discussions with election stakeholders on the implementation of its recommendations. Follow-up visits at the expert level and roundtable meetings also take place in order to address ANNUAL REPORT 2005 election-related issues, as well as to identify possible technical-assistance projects aimed at the improvement of election processes. In addition to the legal reviews undertaken during the course of 2005, in response to specific invitations, the Office also actively followed up on implementation of recommendations in Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, and the United States. The ODIHR remains prepared, upon invitation, to engage governments, political parties, and civil society in a dialogue on improvements to election processes. Modalities for such engagement may vary, to a degree, from one country to another, but the ultimate goal is the improvement of electoral practices with the aim of meeting OSCE commitments. An important element of these efforts is the development of models for post-election engagement, which will facilitate the Office’s efforts to ODIHR Director Ambassador Christian Strohal (left) and Bruce George, President Emeritus of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, at a news conference in Vienna during the Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on Challenges of Election Technologies and Procedures, 21 April. “[The Ministerial Council] tasks the ODIHR to consider ways to improve the effectiveness of its assistance to participating States in following up recommendations made in ODIHR election-observation reports and inform the Permanent Council on progress made in fulfilling this task.” – Maastricht 2003 15