Excelling in Electoral Education

How important is the media in public elections? They are a lot more influential than you might think! As the main source of public information about candidates and the voting process in many countries, the media has a responsibility to understand local electoral practices and convey mass messages objectively. The UNDP, with its focus on democratic governance and capacity development, works to improve the practices of the media in the electoral processes of countries around the world, including in the nation of Turkmenistan.
In 2008, in response to a request made by the government of Turkmenistan, UNDP in partnership with the National Institute of Democracy and Human Rights launched a project entitled “Cooperation on Enhancing Electoral System and Processes in Turkmenistan.” As part of this project, UNDP and the NIDHR held a one-day workshop on June 30th for members of the Turkmen mass media from TV channels to regional print media to learn about electoral best practices and enhance the professionalism of electoral media coverage. By providing national media with the skills they need to do their job fairly, UNDP is empowering the Turkmen population to get out the vote!
Learn more about UNDP’s efforts to enhance the Turkmen electoral system here.