🌍🗳 International Election Observation and Electoral Sovereignty: Highlights from the Round Table at the IPA CIS Conference ⏺ On February 19, Areg Agasaryan, Head of the Center for International Interaction and Cooperation, took part in a round table on "International Observation of Elections and Referendums and the Protection of Electoral Sovereignty: Cooperation Among CIS, African, and Latin American States" held as part of the international conference "Building Trust in the Institution of Elections and Referendums: The Role of International Observation" in St. Petersburg. The event, marking the 20th anniversary of the International Institute for Monitoring the Development of Democracy, Parliamentarism, and Respect for Electoral Rights of Citizens of IPA CIS Member States, brought together heads of electoral bodies, parliamentarians, experts, and representatives of civil society institutions from across the CIS and partner countries. 🌏 Areg Agasaryan emphasized that international election observation has become a critical tool for ensuring transparency and legitimacy of electoral processes. However, he noted a growing concern regarding the neutrality of certain Western-funded observer organizations and stressed the growing demand for alternative methodologies: "With the transition to multipolarity, the international community increasingly recognizes the need for pluralism of assessments and objective standards for observers guided not by political directives but by professional methodology and respect for the sovereignty of observed states. This is where the methodological developments and experience of the IPA CIS International Institute for Monitoring acquire special significance." ⏺He announced that approaching this challenge CIIC will host an international conference in Moscow this spring, gathering over 50 countries to discuss the creation of an international non-governmental association of experts in electoral processes and international election observation. This institution will work on the gradual promotion of alternative Western methodologies and standards to help keep the electoral sovereignty and engage civil society institutions in protecting national interests of states.