Ukraine, Local Elections, 25 October 2020: Needs Assessment Mission Report

Following an invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to observe the 25 October 2020 local elections, and in accordance with its mandate, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) undertook a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) from 27 to 31 July. The NAM included Alexander Shlyk, Head of the ODIHR Election Department, and Keara Castaldo, ODIHR Election Adviser. The purpose of the mission was to assess the pre-election environment and preparations for the local elections. Based on this assessment, the NAM should recommend whether to deploy an ODIHR observation activity for the forthcoming elections and, if so, what type of activity best meets the identified needs. Meetings were held with officials from state institutions as well as with representatives of political parties, media, civil society, and the international community.