Organization: International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)
Name of Organization’s Representative: Chad Vickery
Website: https://www.ifes.org/

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Country: United States
Which seat are you nominating for? International Member Organization Seat 1

Organization’s Profile

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) works with a diverse range of partners worldwide to combat corruption, support democratic renewal, and build trust in democratic processes and institutions. Our research and programs address the greatest threats to democracy – from tackling illicit financing of parties and candidates, to countering disinformation campaigns designed to diminish trust in elections.

As an incubator for thought leadership, we combine decades of practical experience with new evidence to implement innovative programs. Our teams:

• Strengthen the efforts of public officials, independent institutions, and civil society to promote good governance, and build durable democratic institutions and justice systems that protect the rule of law.
• Facilitate peer exchange and learning and strengthen inter-institutional cooperation on priority topics, such as transparency around money in politics, and effective mechanisms for civil and criminal enforcement action.
• Support development and introduction of user-friendly digital solutions and adoption of open data practices amongst institutions, to bolster transparency and accountability.
• Link research on electoral corruption to the broader field of political integrity, and expose how lax legal frameworks and enforcement around money in politics and use of state resources can open the door for policy distortion and consolidation of incumbent power.

Organization’s Experience

IFES regularly takes part in United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) Conferences of State Parties (COSP), having attended the third, sixth, eighth, ninth and tenth sessions. Since late 2022, IFES has played a leading role, together with other UNCAC Coalition member organizations, in advocating for an UNCAC resolution on political finance. For instance, IFES participated (as moderator and panelist) in the political finance session of the UNCAC Coalition’s Global Coalition Conference in June 2023. IFES also held four trainings on abuse of state resources for UNCAC Coalition member organizations from June-July 2023, reaching civil society groups in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean. These training courses exposed participants to various concepts and considerations regarding abuse of state resources, and examined approaches to counteracting violations in the future. IFES also seeks to facilitate introductions and coordination amongst UNCAC Coalition partners seeking support, advice, and collaborative action on election integrity, and countering closing civic space.

Top 3 Priorities to Achieve as a CCC Member

• Strengthening understanding and collective advocacy around minimum standards for political finance transparency, and securing adoption of a resolution on this critical topic at the 11th UNCAC COSP.
• Addressing issues of transnational and strategic corruption that undermine democratic norms and standards (e.g. preventing illicit financial flows from entering campaigns).
• Facilitating peer-to-peer dialogues with members of the UNCAC Coalition to collaboratively identify additional areas for advancing application of open data standards, information sharing, and use of advanced analytical tools (including AI) in anti-corruption programming.

Candidate’s Profile

Chad Vickery has extensive legal and international election administration experience with an emphasis on strengthening democracy and governance in transitioning societies. He specializes in designing and managing electoral integrity initiatives; enhancing election complaint adjudication mechanisms; providing comparative legal analysis; and working on rule of law programs globally.

Vickery’s specific programmatic experience includes leading electoral integrity assessments and projects designed to ensure the development of impartial legal frameworks for elections, increasing the professionalism of election management bodies, establishing effective election dispute programs, and increasing the political participation of historically disenfranchised groups in electoral processes. He also spearheaded development of new methodologies for assessing the integrity of elections, with a focus on electoral fraud and malpractice and the investigation and adjudication of electoral complaints.

He is a member of the Advisory Board to the Electoral Integrity Project (launched out of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 2012). He is also a member of the Washington State Bar and has been appointed to the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Advisory Committee to the Standing Committee on Election Law and is co-Chair of the Task Force on International Election Law within the ABA Section of International Law.

Contributions to the Work of the Coalition

Vickery will draw on his lengthy legal and administrative experience regarding democracy and institutional integrity to further the fight against corruption, with a particular focus on corruption related to electoral processes. Vickery’s global technical experience with legal reform, investigation, and adjudication of election disputes (including political corruption related disputes) can contribute to the engagements of UNCAC Coalition in the fight against impunity, and strategic litigation relating to corruption.

Candidacy & Interest Disclosure