A SCO Secretariat delegation has taken part in Institution of Elections as a Mechanism of Public Authority Legitimation, an international conference that was held in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, on 17-18 October.
The event was organised by the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the CIS Executive Committee, and the Central Election and Referendum Commission of the Republic of Belarus.
The conference was attended by electoral bodies of the SCO member states, experts in the CIS electoral procedure and a number of international specialised organisations.
On its first day experienced international experts exchanged opinions at three plenary meetings on the following topics: Constitutional Construction and Public Authority Legitimation, International Experience and Public Authority Legitimation in the Course of Elections/Referendums and Elections Monitoring as a Mechanism of Public Authority Legitimation.
On 18 October the conference participants were updated on the preparations being carried out for the elections to the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, which are to be held on 17 November 2019.
The international monitoring of elections and referendums is a major function of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The need for SCO observers arose for the first time in 2004. To date the SCO has organised 48 election monitoring missions.
Currently, the SCO is planning to set up its 49th mission, now in the Republic of Belarus, its observer state.