10    ELECTIONS 60 ELECTION-RELATED REPORTS consisting of: 20 Needs Assessment Missions 12 Interim Reports 12 Statements of Preliminary Findings & Conclusions 16 Final Reports Key findings ODIHR election observation activities over the course of 2016 revealed a mixed picture of participating States’ implementation of their commitments for democratic elections. Positive practices included: • Strengthened legal frameworks that are generally accessible and aspire to respect OSCE commitments and international obligations, with a number of improvements resulting directly from enhanced follow-up on ODIHR recommendations; • Greater attention to the issue of inclusion, specifically with regard to women’s participation, the rights of persons with disabilities and national minorities; and • Increased awareness of the importance of regulating campaign finance, including strengthened oversight mechanisms. At the same time, several aspects continued to pose challenges. Common shortcomings include: “ Genuine elections are a cornerstone of democracy, and it is important to continuously refine and enhance our electoral processes. The support of ODIHR experts in providing opinions on draft legislation and offering technical advice on matters of implementation was of significant value during our recent electoral reform.” Arpine Hovhannisyan, Armenia’s Minister of Justice • Limitations to the right to be elected that unreasonably impede specific persons or groups, including independent candidates. In some cases, candidate rights were denied due to restrictive application of registration procedures, often when verifying support signatures; • Lack of a free campaign environment and the necessary conditions to allow parties and candidates to compete on a level playing field. Inequitable access to the media continued to be a shortcoming in many instances. The abuse of state resources in favour of incumbents, particularly when such abuse amounts to intimidation of voters; • Lack of confidence in the impartiality and independence of election administration bodies, including concerns about undue influence by state institutions. At times, transparency and accountability were lacking in the counting and tabulation of votes; • Shrinking space for election observers, both citizen and international, and a persistent lack of legislation regulating access to all aspects of the electoral process; and • Insufficient commitment to ensure all citizens have the right and opportunity to vote, especially in regard to prisoners, voters with mental disabilities, newly eligible voters and voters who moved within or outside the country. FOLLOW-UP TO OBSERVATION MISSIONS AND THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS Election observation is not an end in itself, but rather an activity to assist participating States in implementing their election-related commitments and to improve their electoral practices. ODIHR regularly engages with participating States after elections through a range of follow-up activities. In 2016, ODIHR visited Armenia, Belarus, the Kyrgyz Republic and Mongolia to present its reports to