October 27, 2023
The Organization of American States (OAS) Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) for the 2023 elections of local authorities in Colombia began its activities in the country today.
The mission will be led by attorney Soledad García Muñoz, who is a professor of the 2023-2024 Robert F. Drinan Chair in Human Rights at Georgetown Law, and was the first Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and President of the Working Group of the San Salvador Protocol of the OAS.
Composed of 25 people, including specialists and regional coordinators from 14 nationalities, the mission will deploy to the territories of Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Magdalena, Atlántico, Córdoba, Antioquia, Cauca, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Santander and Valle del Cauca. The mission will monitor key aspects of the process such as electoral organization, electoral technology, electoral justice, political-electoral financing, accessibility for people with disabilities, participation of indigenous peoples, Afro-descendant communities and rural populations, political participation of women and electoral violence, among others.
The mission began a staggered arrival to the country last Friday. Throughout the week, OAS/EOM members will meet with electoral and governmental authorities, political leaders, and representatives of civil society, which will allow them to make an integral assessment of the process.
This is the 23rd mission that the OAS has deployed to Colombia and is made possible thanks to the financial contributions of Brazil, Canada, France, Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Panama, Switzerland and the United States.
Once the elections are over, the mission will present a preliminary report with its observations and recommendations with the aim of contributing to the strengthening of electoral processes in Colombia. In Colombia, OAS Electoral Observation Missions are formally called “Electoral Oversight Missions”.