India has contributed USD 2,50,000 to the UN Election Assistance Division to help other countries to hold elections and develop their electoral systems.
• Organization : United Nations • Headquarters: New York City, New York, United States • Founded: 24 October 1945 • Secretary‑General : António Guterres • Member : 193 members, 2 observers (Holy See, State of Palestine) • Official languages : Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish ** South Sudan is the lastest entry in the UN. It is the 193rd country.
This is the second time that India has contributed USD 2,50,000 towards electoral assistance and capacity building. The first assistance was made in 2012.
UN Election Assistance Division
UN Election Assistance Division was set up in 1991 to help member states to build credible and sustainable national electoral systems.
The UN electoral assistance is based on the principle established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
According to it, “the will of the people, as expressed through periodic and genuine elections, shall be the basis of government authority”.
Under this programme, UN has assisted over 100 countries with their elections.
Though it principally provides technical assistance for conducting elections, it has also sent observers at the request of the General Assembly or the Security Council to ensure the integrity of elections conducted at different countries.
In the 1990s, UN under this programme has provided popular consultations in the countries like Timor-Leste, South Africa, Mozambique, El Salvador and Cambodia.
Recently, it has provided technical and logistical assistance to conduct elections in countries like Afghanistan, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Nepal, Sierra Leone and Sudan.
Types of Assistance
• Technical assistance
• Election observation and other assessments
• Organization or Supervision of Elections.
UN entities providing electoral assistance
• The Department of Political Affairs (DPA)
• The Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
• United Nations Volunteers (UNV)
• The United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS)
• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
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