Aside from nearly forty international election observation missions deployed, ENEMO has thrived by offering a unique organizational positioning. On one hand, it utilizes internationally recognized electoral standards, democratic benchmarks, and methodology. On the other hand, it is composed of a diverse array of domestic civil society activists who are human rights defenders and election experts in their own countries.  

These factors have created extraordinary value by bringing together the grass-roots interests of civil society – namely the political rights and fundamental freedoms of citizens – with the need of societies and states to respect their international engagements by fulfilling crucial democratic criteria. The belief that only a functioning democracy can address citizens’ hopes and enable them to exercise their rights is what has brought our organizations together observing elections for two decades. 

Over the years, ENEMO has gathered a considerable amount of experience, in a large part thanks to the member organizations and their representatives. Therefore, it is only appropriate for ENEMO to offer this Handbook for election observation to enrich the experience of professionals nominated to ENEMO international election observation missions, in this case the Core Team members and the Long-Term observers. Also, we are confident that mission members engaged in the missions will be able to transmit from the knowledge gained through this Handbook and their experience in the missions to their organizations in their home countries.

Indeed, having a standardized manual on the implementation of these international missions is an extremely useful tool for mission members. It is the result of several years of thinking into giving back to those who have put effort and care into developing what ENEMO is today. In that sense, this Handbook is both an essential tool to improve the quality of observation and reports, but also a piece of ENEMO’s history, which the reader can be proud of.