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Electoral activities by the United Nations continue to expand. Thus, for example, in the month of May 1995 alone, the Electoral Assistance Division reported that there were ongoing UN electoral assistance activities in 16 countries. To an increasing degree these actions are undertaken in partnership with intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, for example, the European Commission, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute. To facilitate this process, the Division publishes a regular report on their work of an 'Electoral Assistance Information Network'.
Emphasis is placed increasingly on endogenous capacity building. This ensures that as a result of the activities countries will have a greater capacity to conduct and observe future elections. Hence, a priority is being put on the training of local election observers and administrators.
The process of creating a democratic system of government requires more than just elections. Whereas elections involve a series of clear and well-defined activities, even when an election is credible, one cannot be sure that the ensuing months and years will lead to the strengthening of democratic processes and institutions. The consolidation of democracy in the period after elections is a more ambiguous domain. Although the United Nations is committed to support its Member States engaged in the process of a transition to democracy, it recognizes that this can be a long and difficult process.
The Culture of Peace Programme has been in dialogue with the Department of Peace-Keeping Operations in order to facilitate the process whereby peace-keeping operations and electoral assistance prepare the ground for the long term actions to estab-
lish a culture of peace. For example, the Programme took part in the Annual Seminar on Conflict Resolution and Peace-keeping in July 1994, sponsored by the International Peace Academy in co-operation with the Department of Peace-keeping Operations, as well as the International Colloquium on Post-Conflict Reconstruction Strategies sponsored in June 1995 by the UN Office in Vienna.
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
United Nations efforts to promote military security are being systematically studied by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). The Institute has three main lines of research:
* disarmament and conflict resolution processes, concentrating on the disarmament of warring parties as an integral part of peace-keeping operations;
* non proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, notably in view of the 1995 Extension Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention;
* regional security issues, mainly on arms control and confidence-building measures in the Middle East.
Through a process of workshops and expert meetings, UNIDIR is producing and disseminating a series of six policy papers. They concern aspects of the disarmament of warring parties by peace-keeping operations:
* small arms, internal conflict, and their relationship to disarmament during peace-keeping operations;
In its electoral assistance, the United Nations emphasizes the training of local observers and administrators in order to enhance the country's capacity to conduct and observe future elections.