The National Election Commission (NEC) and the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) held the 2015 Seoul International Forum on Elections at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul on 13th of May to formulate ways to develop election systems and democracy.

The NEC and A-WEB co-organized the Forum to celebrate the 4th National Voters Day (May 10), which was first designated in 2012 to reflect the significance of elections and to enhance people''''''''''''''''s sense of sovereignty.

The Forum began with the opening remarks by Mr. Kim Yong-Hi, Secretary General of the NEC/A-WEB, and then moved to discussions among the speakers who had expertise in the elections and democratization fields on the following three main topics:

l The Current Status of Official Development Assistance (ODA) Dedicated to Democracy and Elections and How to Improve It

l Promoting the Political Rights of Minorities

l The Role of Political Parties in Resolving Social Conflicts

The speakers were renowned experts from election-related international organizations, including A-WEB, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), and from international organizations, such as the International Republican Institute (IRI), The Asia Foundation, the EU Delegation to the Republic of Korea and various colleges at home and abroad.

As the Forum was successfully held with accomplished presentations and in-depth discussions on each topic, the NEC expects the Forum to continue to serve as a prestigious annual international meeting in the election and democracy fields. 

Overview of 2015 Seoul International Forum on Elections

l Dates : May 12-May 15, 2015

l Venue : Lotte Hotel in Seoul (Sogong-dong)

l Program Overview