DOP 2024
About the Declaration of Principles (DoP)
The Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and the Code of Conduct for International Election Observers establish the basis for credible and impartial international election observation. The Declaration was developed through a collaborative process involving more than 20 intergovernmental and international non-governmental organizations concerned with election observation around the world.
Officially commemorated at the United Nations on 27 October 2005, the Declaration is now endorsed by 54 organizations globally, reaffirming their commitment to uphold the highest standards in election observation. A full list of endorsing organizations is available here.
endorsement for the DoP, New York, 2005. UN Photo/Mark Garten
Every year, one of the ten organizations of the Convening Committee hosts a meeting that gathers endorsing organizations to address emerging challenges and discuss innovative methods to improve election observation. This collaborative effort ensures that international election observation continues to evolve and maintain its professional rigour.
This year’s meeting is hosted by the OSCE Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in the historic city of Gdansk, where Lech Wałęsa led the Solidarity movement, which was instrumental in achieving the first democratic elections in Poland.