A nine-member delegation of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina last week concluded a study visit to the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg where they gained first-hand insights on shared challenges, standards, and good election practices among Council of Europe member states.

The delegation consisted of two members of the CEC Collegium, the Secretary General, as well as members of the legal and audit departments. During the two-day visit, they had an opportunity to meet experts and senior representatives of key Council of Europe bodies, including the European Court of Human Rights, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Venice Commission, Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and the Directorate General for Democracy and Human Dignity.

The main topics discussed included the electoral dispute resolution and relevant case law of the European Court of Human Rights, transparency and accountability in the financing of political parties and election campaigns, combating hate speech and discrimination in the election process, the impact of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, and the role of independent institutions and the civil society in safeguarding the integrity of elections.

The successful study visit underlined the strong partnership between the Council of Europe and the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina in promoting democracy, the rule of law, and human rights in electoral matters. It also contributed directly to the core objective of the ongoing Council of Europe project in Bosnia and Herzegovina to enhance the institutional capacities of the Commission, particularly in the field of legal compliance, campaign oversight, and alignment with European standards in organising and conducting elections.

The study visit was organised as part of the Council of Europe project “Supporting transparency, inclusiveness and integrity of electoral practice and processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, funded through voluntary contributions under the Council of Europe’s Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025.