General Information of the Invitation

- INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS IN COLOMBIA -

GENERAL INFORMATION OF THE INVITATION

PLEBISCITE FOR THE PEACE ACCORDS

COLOMBIA, 2016

The International Mission of Electoral Observation – MOE International – speaks with the voice of international civil society, conformed by members of non-governmental, social, academic and other think tank organizations interested in observing the Special Plebiscite for the Havana Peace Accords between the Government of Colombia and the FARC-EP.

1. DUTIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER IN COLOMBIA

MOE International observers in Colombia act in the name of democracy and the citizenry offering their eyes and ears for the vigilant monitoring of transparent electoral processes and report possible irregularities on Election Day In accordance with that stipulated in CNE Resolution 447 of 1997, it is recommended:

• The observer cannot carry propaganda or insignias representing any political or social organization.

• Where possible, the observer should were a White shirt or t-shirt without logos. The only logo allowed is that of the Electoral Observation Mission MOE.

• The observer is not an electoral guide. If any person requests information, they should be directed to the corresponding electoral authorities or to the police officers present in the voting stations.

• The function of the observer is to be vigilant, not to orient, challenge or make public claims of any kind.

• The observer must visibly carry observer credentials given by the National Electoral Council, which legally permits their entrance into the voting stations.

• The observer must abide by a voluntary work schedule elaborated by International MOE, which he or she is responsible to uphold upon accepting this invitation.

• The observer will only hand information regarding irregularities to the Electoral Observation Mission, in accordance to the established protocol.

• The international observer does not make public statements that will compromise the independence and objectivity of the Electoral Observation Mission – MOE.

• If a serious incident occurs that merits immediate denunciation, it should be reported to the regional coordinator or to the international coordinator in Bogota.

• If an observer does not comply with this code, he/she must hand in their accreditation to the corresponding MOE Coordinator or to the Electoral Authorities.

1. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT DURING OBSERVATION

International observers in Colombia will be responsible for completing the observation forms and forwarding them to MOE by physical or electronic means. Images and other digital files regarding electoral irregularities can be uploaded to the Pilas con el voto website.

Those individuals who do not participate in MOE training workshops held in Bogotá must complete this training with the regional coordinators. This requires additional time on part of our regional offices. MOE asks that all training activities be scheduled with sufficient time to not overburden the regional offices.

If an observer travels to the regions, the accreditation, the observation forms and the electoral kits will be handed to them the day of the training workshop by the international coordinator. In the case that you are not able to attend the Bogota workshops, these items will be handed to the observer by the regional coordinator the day before the elections. If you observe in Bogota these elements will be provided by the International Coordinator on the day of Elections.

Aside from completing the observation forms and handing them in, the observer is also expected to elaborate a brief country report where all the notable incidents, contextual analysis and recommendations can be registered.

1. CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS IN COLOMBIA:

1. Foreign citizen residing in Colombia.
2. Acceptable knowledge of oral and written Spanish.
3. Basic knowledge of the country.
4. Disposition and capacity to work in a mixed group of national and international observers.
5. Physical and psychological endurance for a long day´s work.
6. The observer must count with Health Insurance

1. SECURITY OF THE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS

The international observers will permanently be accompanied by members of the MOE. In order to guarantee an adequate and effective implementation of MOE security protocols, it is of utmost importance that all observers agree to follow the agenda in its entirety and the established routes of observation on the day of elections.

1. REGISTRATION

The form of inscription attached to this document (ANNEX 1) should be completely and transmitted via e-mail no later than Friday, September 14th to the following address:

1. TRAINING OF THE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS IN COLOMBIA

To be authorized by MOE and the Colombian electoral authorities as an international observer, all volunteers must complete the training workshop. This workshop consists in one session focused on various issues such as the political and electoral system in Colombia, contextualization of the referendum process and the plebiscite for peace as well as the electoral risks that may be identified.

The international workshops will be available in a live three hour session, and will be available virtually. MOE has developed audiovisual tools that will assist the training workshops in Bogota and those in the regions. Each observer will have to pass a brief yet rigorous evaluation.

1. ACCREDITATION

The accreditation as an international observers in Colombia will be granted by the National Electoral Council (CNE) and will be handed to all international observers once MOE has received all the information required in Annex 1. The accreditation legally permits the international observer access to the voting stations.

8. ELECTORAL OBSERVATION IN THE NATIONAL TERRITORIES

The international observers in the country can request a specific region where they want to observe as long as MOE has national presence in that municipality, need of international observers and permission from our regional coordinator. The final decision is approved by the National Director of the organization

The Mission recommends provincial capitals and major urban centers in order to avoid security inconveniences. Exceptional requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Please be advised that to reach certain regions of the country you will need two (2) days travel time from Bogota.

9. COSTS AND FINANCING

ALL COSTS (NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AIRFARE, GROUND TRAVEL, ROOM, FOOD AND OTHER TRAVEL EXPENSES) ARE COVERED BY THE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER.

The Electoral Observation Mission – MOE – will take exclusive responsibility for the training workshops, the provision of the necessary observation and coordinates the work agendas between Bogota and the rest of the regional offices.

1. PROVISIONAL WORK AGENDA FOR THE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVATION MISSION

1. Time and date of the virtual training workshop is yet to be defined.

07:50 – 08:25: Arrival and registration.

08:30 – 09:35: Brief summary of the Colombian political and electoral system.

09:35 – 09:50: Coffee break

09:50 – 11:05: Context on the referendum of the peace accords.

11:10 – 12:30: Electoral Observation training for the Plebiscite

1. Day before the Elections

The international observers meet with the regional coordinators to confirm the observation routes, the key contacts on the ground and give final confirmation with International MOE.

1. Day of the plebiscite (Observation Mission in Colombia)

07:00 – 07:55: Arrival and presentation of the day´s agenda. Departure to voting station.

08:00 – 16:00:Observation of different voting stations on the day of elections

16:00 – 18:00:Observation of the vote count

Annex 1

Registration Form MOE International in Colombia

Instructions 2016:

Please complete this form and send it back to

Please attach a profile photo and a letter explaining why you wish to observe the referendum of the peace accords.

Organizational information:

Name of the Organization:

Country:

City:

Address:

Phone Number:

E-Mail:

Website:

Point of contact in the organization:

E-Mail:

Phone Number:

Personal Information *

(Please complete this information for each volunteer participating in the organization´s name)

Names:

Surnames:

Occupation and title:

E-Mail:

Identification type:

Identification number:

City/municipality you are interested in observing?

Country where you will observe?

Level of Spanish: High Medium Basic

Health Insurance Provider:

Emergency contact in Colombia

Names:

Telephone:

Address:

E-mail:

Emergency contact in country of residence

Names:

Telephone:

Address:

E-mail:

¿Why do you wish to observe the referendum elections on the peace accords?:

Space only for MOE

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