12  //  ELECTIONS A voter in Bishkek having her finger scanned as part of the biometric identification process during Kyrgyzstan's presidential election, 15 October 2017. (OSCE/Thomas Rymer) 40% More than of leadership positions in election observation missions were occupied by women electoral recommendations, strengthening the Office’s election observation methodology and training observers. ELECTION OBSERVATION ODIHR assesses electoral processes for their compliance with OSCE commitments, other international obligations and standards for democratic elections. In 2017, ODIHR deployed missions to a wide range of countries, including Albania, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and the Netherlands. ODIHR also continued to respond to a growing number of early or unanticipated elections, including in Austria, Bulgaria, Iceland, Malta, Turkey and the United Kingdom. In line with the rolling calendar of elections maintained by ODIHR and with the Office’s well-established methodology, an election observation process begins with the deployment of a needs assessment mission (NAM) several months before an election to assess the environment and preparations for the elections. Based on this assessment, the NAM recommends whether to carry out an observation activity and, if so, what type of activity best meets the needs identified. In 2017, ODIHR conducted 19 NAMs. In line with NAM recommendations, the Office carried out election observation activities in 20 OSCE participating States. This included five fullscale election observation missions (EOMs), comprising long- and shortterm observers seconded by participating States; three limited election observation missions (LEOMs), which included long- but not shortterm observers; six election assessment missions (EAMs), comprising a core team of experts but no long- or short-term observers; and six election expert teams (EETs), which included a limited number of experts focusing on specific issues. Some 2,000 observers from 51 participating States took part in ODIHR observation activities in 2017. Of that number, 860 observers were women. In ODIHR’s election observation missions women occupied more than 40 per cent of leadership positions.