IFEZ Journal

Within IFEZ's International Cooperation Organization

The beginning of a fair and 

transparent election, 

Association of World Election Bodies(A-WEB)

Association of World Election Bodies(A-WEB) was launched to strengthen election management capabilities, 

increase the accuracy of the election system, and support transparent and participatory elections. 

Shin Yong-Suk, IFEZ International Cooperation Special Advisor, who is broadening the international, historical, and cultural horizons 

of the local community, and Jang In-Sik, Secretary General of A-WEB met for a conversation

[INTERVIEW]

Q1. What kind of agency is A-WEB?

A-WEB is an international organization that supports free, fair, transparent, and participatory elections. In 2011, the Korea Central Election Commission proposed the creation at the Seoul Forum and was officially launched in October 2013. A-WEB operates a variety of programs that strengthen election management capabilities by collaborating with electoral management organizations around the world and enhancing the accuracy of the election system. Research on international elections, electoral management capabilities, and international seminars and world electoral system are the representative activities of A-WEB, which help member agencies understand the election systems of each country and share the best practices of election management. In addition, A-WEB, which has 119 election management agencies around the world, is a leading organization that contributes to raising Korea’s international status.

 

Q2. Please tell us about the fair and transparent elections pursued by A-WEB.

Fair and transparent elections pursued by A-WEB include the following principles: First is free participation. We guarantee that all voters express themselves and vote freely. The second is fair competition. All candidates and political parties get equal opportunities and can participate in the election. The third is transparency. All stages of the election process are transparent and thoroughly monitored to prevent cheating. Fourth is accuracy. The voting results are accurately counted and announced. There is also a principle of responsibility. The election management agency is responsible for quickly solving any problems in the election process. Of course, all member countries’ election environments are diverse and have various electoral systems. However, by spreading these universal principles, A-WEB contributes to building a trusted election system and strengthening democracy.

 

 

Q3. We would like to hear more on A-WEB over the past 11 years.

A-WEB has achieved various results in the last 11 years. The central performance is as follows: First, we strengthened election management capabilities through various educational programs and workshops for electoral management organizations worldwide. In addition, the international election visit program has been operated in multiple countries to enhance the fairness and transparency of the elections. Additionally, technical support for digitalizing the election management system has enabled more efficient and transparent election management. Research and Publishing: We conducted election-related studies and shared the best practices of election management through various reports and publications. Lastly, A-WEB contributed to strengthening international cooperation by establishing a global election management network in collaboration with different international organizations The standard has been raised. Through these achievements, A-WEB has established itself as an international organization trusted in election management worldwide.

Q4. How has A-WEB contributed to the world’s transparency and fair elections in the last 11 years?

Over the past 11 years, A-WEB has made various contributions to make global elections transparent and fair. First, we tried to strengthen the election management capacity. A-WEB held educational programs and workshops to improve its membership management capabilities. This helped employees of the Election Commission to acquire the latest technologies and best practices. Since its inception, it has provided customized education for more than 1,000 people worldwide. A-WEB has been providing dozens of lectures annually by selecting topics such as elections, media, fake news, and transparency of political funds through demand surveys for membership agencies. In addition, the implementation plan for improving the election management of the country prepared by participants in the training process is reflected in the actual policy in the relevant country.

It also contributed to technical support and advice. A-WEB has provided technical support and guidance to member agencies so that the latest technologies, such as electronic voting systems and electoral life management, can be introduced. The introduction of these technologies played an essential role in increasing the transparency and efficiency of elections. In particular, we provided advice on what to note by analyzing the cases of member countries to countries, such as Mongolia, which is trying to introduce technology to elections. Monitoring is also an indispensable part of the election. A-WEB observes and monitors the elections of various countries.

We evaluated fairness and transparency. These activities have prevented fraudulent elections and contributed to fair elections. For example, the A-WEB observers discovered the need for more unity in the polling procedure in the Ecuadorian parliamentary elections in 2017, therefore, they recommended preparing a standard guideline for the Ecuadorian NEC. Even in the 2023 Guatemala concurrent election, A-WEB proposed recommendations to improve and enhance voting efficiency and confirmed whether they were implemented in the presidential election two months later.

Next, we have promoted international cooperation and information sharing among member countries. Through this, election management agencies in each country have provided the opportunity to share their experiences and knowledge and jointly solve election issues. The most representative example is the ‘Election Management’ series held by A-WEB. Under the unprecedented situation, many election management agencies had to postpone or cancel the election. As a result, A-WEB created a place of knowledge and information sharing using non-face-to-face platforms and introduced not only the successful know-how of the election management agencies who have elections in the situation but also the case of failure to member agencies. This was contributory to the success of the election. 

Finally, A-WEB conducted election research and published various reports and publications to provide helpful information to member agencies. Research activities have been used as important data to improve the quality of election management. In conclusion, over the past 11 years, A-WEB has significantly increased the transparency and fairness of global elections.

 

Q5. I am curious about the evaluation of A-WEB member countries on the Korean election system.

Many member states are visiting Korea to learn election system of Korea. We are interested in various fields such as voting and counting of votes procedures, the overseas election system, and the electorate training. We are interested in the accuracy of the electoral list management and the system and operation that guarantees the voting rights of the absentee voting. Also, the accuracy and detail of the overall election management procedure of the NEC of the Republic of Korea are highly regarded.

Q6. What is the representative event of A-WEB in 2024?

A-WEB’s biggest event, the regular General Assembly, will be held in Bogota, capital of Colombia in October. The General Assembly is the best decision-making organization of A-WEB and is the largest international event held every two years in the election field with 119 member agencies. Many important agendas are reported, discussed, and decided. At the General Assembly, Colombia will be inaugurated as A-WEB Chairman, and new vice chairmen and executives will be elected and will revised the Charter. In addition, business performance reports, audit reports will be made, and approval for next year’s business and new membership will be determined.

In addition, on October 6, Bosnia Herzegovina will run the local elections. The observers are composed of dozens of NECs in Europe, where they will be attended. A-WEB is actively using this opportunity to prepare customized training by continent. We are going to prepare a place of knowledge sharing through lectures and presentations on the theme of common issues of European members.

 

Q7. Why did A-WEB settle in IFEZ?

IFEZ is close to Incheon International Airport and Seoul, which is excellent in traffic access. This provides great advantages in conducting A-WEB’s international activities, meetings, workshops, and invitations. The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority and local agencies have made active efforts to attract A-WEB. This is one of the main factors that A-WEB is located in Incheon, as it supports A-WEB’s activities by maintaining continuous cooperation. A-WEB also contributes to the local economy by holding many events in Incheon. In addition, we have been actively participating in the international organization fairs operated by Incheon.

 

Q8. What would like to tell the IFEZ Journal readers?

In October last year, we surveyed member agencies for the 10th anniversary of A-WEB. More than 90 percent of members answered that they felt very valuable to belong to A-WEB and recommended other election management agencies to join. Almost all members were very satisfied with the experience of A-WEB’s program and said that they were looking forward to more programs.

Joseph S. NYE JR., the former Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University suggested the concept of ‘soft power,’ and emphasized that the soft power is a power that can be obtained with much less cost and effort in preparation for hard power. He also cited that South Korea has the economic and cultural resources to produce significant soft power. A-WEB, which has established headquarters in Korea, functions as a global network that strengthens representative democracy by exchanging knowledge and experiences by electoral management agencies worldwide with different election environments and systems. Over the past decade, A-WEB has been carrying out “invisible diplomacy” for the Republic of Korea, contributing to the strengthening of the capacity of election agencies and the democratic election culture of the world. I hope that A-WEB will greatly contribute to strengthening Korea’s soft power with more interest and support between Incheon and Korea.