Political Rights and Enfranchisement System Strengthening Banner
 

Country Information

Press was Supported by:
AID Logo

Website hosted by: The State University of New York at Geneseo
SUNY Geneseo

Questions or Comments?

Email us at: iompressproject@iom.int

     
 

 

The PRESS Project ended in June 2007. IOM will continue follow-up actions in relation to the projects' objectives. The PRESS website will remain online, but will be updated only sporadically.


The Political Rights and Enfranchisement System Strengthening (PRESS) project was an IOM effort to improve the capacity of refugees, internally displaced persons, and other forced-migrants to participate in their home country political processes.

PRESS served as the focal point for IOM programming in migrant enfranchisement and political rights projects. PRESS programming included several components:

  • Action Plans that identified problems for forced-migrant electoral participation and made recommendations for ensuring that refugees and IDPs are able to fully participate in elections. These Action Plans are a public document for international and national stakeholders to identify critical issues, make recommendations on legislative and operational assistance, and take coordinated action to address the electoral participation of forced-migrants;
  • Civil Society Strengthening for self-advocacy and representation. PRESS sought to strengthen civil society organizations in target communities to provided advocacy and monitoring activities during elections. 
  • A specialized training module for election management bodies and international organizations that identified best practices for enfranchising migrant communities (to be released in late March 2007);
  • A web-based information resource on political processes and forced migration;
  • International conferences and publications aimed at increasing awareness of forced-migrant enfranchisement issues and generating standards to ensure that electoral participation met criteria for genuine elections.
 

PRESS Action Plans (.pdf)

Conflict, Displacement, and Elections: Action Plan for Municipal Elections in Colombia (November 2006)

Nepal: Supporting the Democratic Transition through the Participation of Internally Displaced Persons and Migrants in Constituent Assembly Elections (June 2006)

Sri Lanka: Voting Rights of IDPs, Refugees, and Economic Migrants (April 2006)

Uganda: Internally Displaced Persons in the 2006 National Elections (May 2005)

Liberia: Refugees and IDPs in the October 2005 Elections (May 2004)

Electoral Displacement in the Caucasus (July 2003)

Angolan Elections (November 2002)


PRESS Discussion Papers

PRESS Colloquium Proceedings (.pdf)

Enfranchising Conflict Forced Migrants: Issues, Standards and Best Practices (September 2003)

Electoral Rights of Conflict-Forced Migrants: Review of Relevant Legal Norms and Instruments (June 2003)

Case Studies on Participation of Conflict Forced Migrants in Elections (May 2003)


 

 
This project was funded by the United States Agency for International Development.  USAID, the US Government, IOM, and its member states do not necessarily endorse the activities or opinions expressed in external links. Please send your questions and comments to iompressproject@iom.int