Elections Reform Support Group
Encyclopedia
The Elections Reform Support Group or ERSG was an forum of donors co-chaired by the United States
and the European Union
to coordinate the reform of the Palestinian
electoral system. ESRG was founded in 2002. Members include the states of Denmark
, Germany
, Greece
, Ireland
, Italy
, Japan
, the Netherlands, Norway
, Spain
, Sweden
, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Also international organizations such as the European Commission
, the office of the European Union Presidency
, the United Nations and the United Nations Development Program participate in this program. International Foundation for Electoral Systems
supported the forum in secretarial role.
Since 2007 the ERSG was reformed and integrated into Election Working Group
or (EWG), which is part of the "Governance Sector Group", one of the four Strategy Groups under the aid coordination structure in the Palestinian Territories
. Role of the secretariat is assumed by the Local Aid Coordination Secretariat (LACS).
(U.S., EU, Russia and the UN Secretary General), Norway, Japan, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund and first met July 10, 2002. This task force was responsible for forming support groups for several areas of reform including Civil Society, Elections, Financial Accountability, Judicial Reform, Local Government, Market Economics, and Ministerial and Civil Service Reform. These groups were a reaction to the declining humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories
. Once the Elections Reform Support Group was organized, the task force was advised in election activities by Ambassador Jean Breteche of the EU, who would later became the Secretariat of ERSG. Secretarial role was in 2005 assumed by IFES.
to develop and implement a project to draft election law, supported formation of independent Palestinian Elections Commission and its development into a single, independent, authoritative election management body of the Palestinian Authority.
As part of this support the European Union provided five elections experts and 10 million Euros to support the project, UNDP/PAPP
provided two experts, Japan contributed 1 million dollars, Canada contributed 1.2 million Canadian dollars and an expert, Norway contributed 1 million dollars and Denmark provided 300,000 dollars.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
to coordinate the reform of the Palestinian
Palestinian National Authority
The Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
electoral system. ESRG was founded in 2002. Members include the states of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the Netherlands, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Also international organizations such as the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, the office of the European Union Presidency
President of the European Union
President of the European Union could be a reference to any of:* President of the European Council * President of the European Commission...
, the United Nations and the United Nations Development Program participate in this program. International Foundation for Electoral Systems
International Foundation for Electoral Systems
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems is an international, non-profit organization founded in 1987. This Washington, D. C.-based development organization provides assistance and support for elections in new and emerging democracies...
supported the forum in secretarial role.
Since 2007 the ERSG was reformed and integrated into Election Working Group
Election Working Group
The Election Working Group is a non-partisan, 32-member network of civil society organizations. Established in 2006, EWG members share a common commitment to free and fair elections and good governance in Bangladesh....
or (EWG), which is part of the "Governance Sector Group", one of the four Strategy Groups under the aid coordination structure in the Palestinian Territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
. Role of the secretariat is assumed by the Local Aid Coordination Secretariat (LACS).
Formation
ERSG was formed as an outgrowth of the UN Task Force on Palestine. The UN task force consists of the QuartetQuartet on the Middle East
The Quartet on the Middle East, sometimes called the Diplomatic Quartet or Madrid Quartet or simply the Quartet, is a foursome of nations and international and supranational entities involved in mediating the peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Quartet are the United Nations, the...
(U.S., EU, Russia and the UN Secretary General), Norway, Japan, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund and first met July 10, 2002. This task force was responsible for forming support groups for several areas of reform including Civil Society, Elections, Financial Accountability, Judicial Reform, Local Government, Market Economics, and Ministerial and Civil Service Reform. These groups were a reaction to the declining humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
. Once the Elections Reform Support Group was organized, the task force was advised in election activities by Ambassador Jean Breteche of the EU, who would later became the Secretariat of ERSG. Secretarial role was in 2005 assumed by IFES.
Activities
The ESRG was supported by the entire task force and coordinated funding for elections programs from USAID, the EU, European countries and Japan. The ERSG worked with the Palestinian Legislative CouncilPalestinian Legislative Council
The Palestinian Legislative Council, the legislature of the Palestinian Authority, is a unicameral body with 132 members, elected from 16 electoral districts in the West Bank and Gaza...
to develop and implement a project to draft election law, supported formation of independent Palestinian Elections Commission and its development into a single, independent, authoritative election management body of the Palestinian Authority.
As part of this support the European Union provided five elections experts and 10 million Euros to support the project, UNDP/PAPP
PAPP
PAPP or para-aminopropiophenone is a chemical tool that is being investigated in New Zealand and Australia as a way of controlling introduced predators.- External links :*...
provided two experts, Japan contributed 1 million dollars, Canada contributed 1.2 million Canadian dollars and an expert, Norway contributed 1 million dollars and Denmark provided 300,000 dollars.