The Assembly does not have a standing mandate to monitor elections. However, in exceptional circumstances, and when invited by national authorities, the Assembly took the decision to send delegations to observe the conduct of election processes. In each of these instances, the Assembly has joined forces with the Parliamentary Assemblies of the OSCE and the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. For instance, the Assembly has been invited to monitor all presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine since the 2004 presidential elections which triggered the “Orange Revolution”.
Through its participation in election observation, the Assembly demonstrates that NATO is not only a security organisation, but also a community of countries founded on common values of democracy, respect for the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, values which both NATO members and partners have committed to respect. As parliamentarians, members of the Assembly have a particular stake in ensuring that the fundamental principle that citizens are able to elect their leaders in a free and fair manner is guaranteed and respected