CEC Chairman attends OSCE/ODIHR workshop in Vienna on safeguarding online election campaigns
Giorgi Kalandarishvili, Chairman of Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC), and Tamar Kapanadze, Head of the CEC’s International Relations and Protocol Division, participated in a workshop organised by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) titled Protecting the Online Election Campaign Space: Approaches Beyond Regulation.
The event comprised two working sessions. In the first session, participants examined how well states are equipped to counter disinformation and safeguard electoral integrity, as well as the role of media literacy. The second session evaluated practical experience and outcomes in applying existing codes of conduct during online election campaigns.
The workshop enabled delegates from OSCE participating states, election administration officials, electoral experts, and civil society representatives to examine key non-regulatory measures to address emerging campaign threats, disinformation, and manipulation.
Participating in the panel discussions, Kalandarishvili outlined the experience of Georgia’s electoral authorities.
“This international workshop demonstrated once again that OSCE participating states largely face common challenges, specifically those linked to digital disinformation, manipulation, and their consequences. It further demonstrated that Georgia’s approach to countering electoral disinformation mirrors international best practice. This confirms that our administration uses every available tool to deliver accurate, verified information to the public, thereby safeguarding the electoral environment and ensuring voters are properly informed,” Kalandarishvili said.
During his official visit, the CEC Chairman also met Aleksandre Maisuradze, Georgia’s Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to the OSCE and other international organisations in Vienna. The two officials reviewed the progress of the visit and discussed opportunities for the Georgian election administration to engage in various international projects. Also attending the meeting were Ekaterine Zodelava, Minister Counsellor at the Georgian Embassy in Austria, and Tamar Kapanadze.
The workshop took place in the Austrian capital, Vienna, on 10 November at the invitation of OSCE/ODIHR, according to the Central Election Commission.