Election Observation

International election observation plays an important role in the promotion of democratisation, human rights and the rule of law. The Department maintains a roster of observers who are available to participate in election observation missions. We nominate observers to missions organised, in the main, by the EU and the OSCE.

On average, the Department sends observers on 12-18 election observation missions per year. Short Term Observers (STOs) are generally in country for 10-14 days, while Long Term Observers (LTOs) can spend 60 days or more observing the election process.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, EU and OSCE international election observation missions are currently suspended. In January and February 2020, Ireland sent one LTO and two STOs to observe the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. In 2019 Ireland sent 57 individual observers to EU or OSCE election observation missions in: Albania, Belarus, El Salvador, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Malawi, Moldova, Mozambique, North Macedonia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tunisia and Ukraine.

Click on the following links for a breakdown of mission and flights costs and average flight emissions for 2019 mission/flight costs and 2020 mission/flight costs.



The current election roster was established in January 2019. The roster selection process has now concluded. A number of applicants contacted the Department with questions about the 2018 roster mustering process. Further information is available in the Composite Response . The Department does not accept applications for election observer missions from members of the public who have not been shortlisted to the roster.

The next roster mustering process is not expected to be launched before 2022. Details will be made available on www.dfa.ie in due course. For data protection reasons we do not hold contact details of persons who wish to be notified about future roster mustering processes, but you can keep in touch by following us on Twitter at @DFAT_Irl

A listing of missions from 2013-2020 is available here.