Follow-Up on Recommendations’ Implementation Conference

23-24 September 2025

European Parliament | Comet Meetings - Louise, Brussels

Technologies for Trust: Innovating for Election Integrity in a Changing Global Order

(thematic scope)

In times of increasing digital interference and authoritarian influence on elections worldwide, FURIC 2025 examines how societies can safeguard transparency, accountability, and public trust in elections – the cornerstone of inclusive and informed democratic participation.

Building on recommendations from its previous editions, the conference will emphasize stronger synergies among all stakeholders to address challenges such as disinformation, social media algorithms, foreign interference, and hybrid threats.

(approach)

As the European Union positions itself as a global frontrunner in regulating AI, online political advertising, and data protection, there is an increasing need – both for citizens and for policymakers – to ensure the effective enforcement of these existing frameworks.

Citizen and international observers are called to adapt their approaches, refining methodologies for monitoring data-driven elections and applying advanced techniques.

The conference will also highlight the importance of robust follow up frameworks for implementing election observation recommendations, frameworks that should be developed and supported collectively by policymakers, tech companies, election management bodies, and civil society.

FURIC 2025 is organised in cooperation with European Parliament’s Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DEG) and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), and supported by the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Preliminary Agenda

Day 1: 23 Sept 2025

High-Level Event

Hosted by the European Parliament’s Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DEG) and the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE)

Room SPINELLI 5E2, European Parliament

Opening Remarks and Keynote Discussion

14:00 – 14:30

SAFEGUARDING DATA-DRIVEN ELECTIONS IN A SHIFTING GLOBAL ORDER: CHALLENGES FOR EUROPE

This high-level panel highlights the EU as a pioneer in regulating digital campaigning to enhance transparency, accountability, and public trust in elections. The discussion will focus on the need for a collaborative approach among international and national, state and non-state actors to safeguard informed participation in trusted election environments across Europe and beyond.

Stefanie Schiffer, Chair of Board EPDE
Nacho Sánchez Amor, Member of the European Parliament

Discussion

14:30 – 15:30

SECURING ELECTIONS IN A WEAPONIZED INFORMATION SPACE: THE EU’S RESPONSE TO AUTHORITARIAN AND DIGITAL THREATS

This panel explores the growing convergence of authoritarian interference and unregulated digital technologies as threats to democratic elections in Europe and beyond. As foreign and domestic actors exploit opaque AI systems, disinformation networks and platform power to manipulate political discourse, the EU is under increasing pressure to strengthen transparency, accountability, and coordinated safeguards. In response, key legislative measures such as the Digital Services Act (DSA), Media Freedom Act (MFA), the TTPA and the AI Act, along with the proposed European Democracy Shield, aim to counter manipulation, to protect democratic spaces, and to secure electoral processes.

Alexandra Geese, Member of the European Parliament
Tea Jaliashvili, First Deputy Director, OSCE/ODIHR
Rasťo Kužel, Executive Director, MEMO 98
Armelle Douaud, Director of Directorate for Democracy Support, European Parliament (moderator)
Armin Rabitsch, Chairperson, Election-Watch.EU (closing commentator)

Discussion

16:00 – 17:00

ALGORITHMS, ADS, AND INFLUENCE: SOCIAL MEDIA, DATA, AND THE CRISIS OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE TRANSPARENCY

Algorithms and AI are transforming how influence is exercised in electoral campaigns, from voter targeting to obscuring sources and funding behind online political advertising. As campaigning becomes more data-driven and opaque, existing political finance frameworks face new challenges for accountability and transparency. The EU leads globally with regulations like the AI Act, DSA, and TTPA, yet implementation, coordination and enforcement gaps remain. This panel will explore ways to strengthen oversight and compliance, highlighting the crucial role of citizen and international election observers in tracking digital influence and ensuring political accountability.

Septimius Parvu, Electoral Program Coordinator, Expert Forum (EFOR) / Vot Corect coalition
Samson Itodo, Executive director, Yiaga Africa
Josef Lentsch, Founder and CEO, Partisan & Political Tech Summit (moderator)
Barbara Jouan Stonestreet, Political Finance Expert (commentator)

Discussion

17:15 – 18:45

ENHANCING THE IMPACT OF ELECTION OBSERVATION: TOWARDS A COORDINATED FOLLOW-UP FRAMEWORK

This panel will explore strategies for building coherent frameworks to implement election observation recommendations that strengthen accountability in digital campaigns, enhance transparency in political finance, and ensure responsible use of algorithms and AI. Similar challenges arise across European, regional, and global contexts, highlighting the need for synergies over fragmented solutions. At the supra-national level, the draft resolution on political finance under consideration at the Conference of the States Parties (CoSP) to the UNCAC reflects efforts to address these issues globally. The discussion will also examine practical models of cooperation among observers, election administrations, international organizations, and major digital platforms to improve follow-up.

Laura Ballarin Cereza, Member of the European Parliament
Olha Aivazovska, Chair of the Board, Civil Network OPORA
Jorge Valladares, Transparency International
Neal MacCall, European External Action Service (moderator)

Day 2: 24 Sept 2025

Plenaries and Parallel Sessions

Hosted by European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) in cooperation with OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the German Marshall Fund (GMF)

Comet Meetings – Louise, Pl. Stéphanie 20, 1050 Brussels

Plenary Session

09:30 – 10:30

INNOVATING ELECTION OBSERVATION: BRIDGING REGIONAL EXPERTISE AND GLOBAL PRACTICE IN A HYBRID THREAT LANDSCAPE

Hosted by the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF)

Digitalization is transforming electoral ecosystems, reshaping campaign strategies and oversight. As the EU strengthens its role as a global leader in regulating artificial intelligence, online political advertising, and data protection, both member states and candidate countries face the challenge of ensuring effective implementation. This panel will explore the impact of digitalization on electoral integrity, highlighting the responsibilities of governments, regulators, and election observers. Drawing on experiences from recent elections in Europe, the United States, and Africa, the discussion will assess how monitoring and enforcement must adapt in today’s hybrid threat landscape.

Martin Ängeby, Senior Advisor, Hybrid CoE
Marjete Schaake, Cyber Security Expert, Stanford University (online)
Mulle Musau, National Coordinator, Elections Observation Group (ELOG), Regional Coordinator, East and Horn ofAfrica Elections Observation Network (EHORN)
Clara Volintiru, Regional Director, German Marshall Fund of the United States

Breakout Sessions

11:15 – 12:15

Breakout Session A: Securing Democracy in the Age of AI - New Frontiers in Election Integrity

Hosted by Future Shift Lab

This panel, curated by Future Shift Labs, will explore urgent intersections of AI, disinformation, democratic resilience, and electoral safeguards bringing together perspectives from the Global South, Europe, and civic technology spaces to shape forward-looking, actionable responses.

Julia Brothers, Deputy Director, National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Josef Lentsch, Founder and CEO, Partisan & Political Tech Summit
Sagar Vishnoi, Director, Future Shift Labs (moderator)

Breakout Session B: Countering Digital Authoritarianism: Civic Resistance, Tech Innovation, and Electoral Participation

Hosted by EDGE Foundation

The Panel intends to explore how digital authoritarianisms, through their unhindered use of technology to enhance surveillance systems and their ability to repress freedom of expression, can frustrate citizens’ ability to participate in elections very early in an electoral cycle.

Jonathan Van Meerbeeck, Head of Section in Democratic Governance, INTPA G1, European Commission
Wanda Cedeño, Director, Voto Joven
Victor Nyongesa, Chairperson, Elections Observation Group Kenya (ELOG)

Breakout Session C: Building Resilient Electoral Ecosystems Through Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration

Hosted by International IDEA

This session will explore how diverse actors—including election management bodies, civil society, technology companies, and international organizations—can collaboratively build resilient electoral ecosystems capable of withstanding digital threats and authoritarian pressures. Participants will discuss best practices for fostering partnerships, enhancing information-sharing, and coordinating responses to emerging challenges in election integrity and transparency.

Lina Petronienė, Chairperson, Central Election Commission of Lithuania
Henry Muguzi, Executive Director, Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), Coordinator, African Election Observers Network (AfEONet)
Sebastian Becker Castellaro, Associate Programme Officer of the Digitalization and Democracy programme, International IDEA
Jorge Valladares, Political Integrity Policy Lead, Transparency International
Yulia Shypilova, Programme Manager, International IDEA

Breakout Session D: Information Verification and Analysis: Individuals, Elections and Online Sources

Hosted by Civic Resilience Initiative

This session will explore how artificial intelligence and open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools are transforming the way election observers detect and counter election misinformation. How can these tools be applied effectively to social media analysis while addressing ethical challenges such as AI bias and data integrity? What lessons have election experts learned from using OSINT in recent elections? And what role can collaboration between journalists, NGOs, and tech experts play in advancing future trends with the greatest potential to strengthen election integrity?

Lukas Andriukaitis, Co-Founder, Civic Resilience Initiative
Francesca Boggeri, Social Media Coordinator, Election Observation and Democracy Support (EODS)
Linas Skirius, Co-founder, Civic Resilience Initiative

Breakout Sessions

12:30 – 13:30

Breakout Session E: Strengthening Democracy Through Tech-Driven Observation and Inclusive Civic Engagement

Hosted by African Election Observation Network AfEONet

This session will explore how technology can enhance election observation and civic engagement in an era of rapid digital change. Participants will discuss innovative tools and inclusive approaches that empower both professional observers and citizens to monitor electoral processes, counter disinformation, and increase transparency.

Aissa Dabo, Programmes Coordinator, AfricTivistes
Lukasz Widla-Domaradzki, Data Scientist, Political Accountability Foundation
Daniel Richardson, Program Associate. Democracy Program, The Carter Center
Sarah Bireete, Chairperson, GNDEM, Chairperson, East and Horn of Africa Election Observers Network (E-HORN), Executive Director of Center for Constitutional Governance (CCG) (moderator)

Breakout Session F: Artificial Intelligence and New Methods of Election Observation: Opportunities; Risks, Resilience

Hosted by International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)

This session will examine how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping election observation. It will explore how new digital tools and systems are being incorporated into the electoral cycle, oftentimes with little public input or oversight, and the forms of digital transparency required to ensure observation methods are updated to account for digital transformation. It will draw on approaches in the field of business and human rights to enumerate best practices regarding EMBs‘ and election observers‘ access, knowledge and communication protocols to ensure that observation addresses the impacts of digitization. Issues such as data management and data governance will be a critical part of this conversation. Insights from the panel discussion will be incorporated into AI Guidance for Election Officials being produced by IFES, in collaboration with EMBs and AI Experts from the AI Advisory Group on Elections (AI AGE) that IFES has spearheaded.

Samson Itodo, Executive Director, Yiaga Africa
Claudia Botturi, Monitoring Manager, Political Regulatory Affairs, the Electoral Commission of the United Kingdom
Matt Bailey, Senior Global Advisor for Cyber and Information Integrity, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) (moderator)

Breakout Session G: Monitoring Data Privacy and Protection in Election

Hosted by National Democratic Institute (NDI)

Electoral actors – including EMBs, political parties and contestants, and third party vendors – collect, digitize, process, use and store large and complex amounts of personal data. Personal data is increasingly a political commodity, and can be bought, sold, traded, and – in some cases – stolen, to contest elections and at times to gain unfair competitive advantage. This interactive session will explore the role that citizen election observers can play in identifying electoral vulnerabilities related to data protection (and misuse), and developing recommendations that promote the rights of voters, and transparency and accountability in campaigning and election administration. The conversation will cover monitoring methodologies related to data protection and electoral integrity, discuss experiences from around the world, and provide guidance on understanding and discerning intertwining challenges of transparency, political competitiveness, election administration efficacy and data privacy.

Tetyana Bohdanova, Independent Consultant in Democracy, Elections, and Technology
Carsten Schürmann, Professor, DemTech Group and IT University of Copenhagen
Julia Brothers, Deputy Director, Elections, National Democratic Institute (NDI) (moderator)

Breakout Session H: Enhancing Transparency from Political Advertisers and Technology Platforms

Hosted by The Carter Center

This session will explore the evolving responsibilities of AI developers, political advertisers, and Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) in electoral contexts. It will examine ways to improve transparency through disclosures on AI use, ad funding, and targeting practices, as well as the possible development of robust, searchable ad libraries to facilitate public scrutiny and oversight.

Barbara Jouan Stonestreet, Political Finance Expert
Josef Lentsch, Founder and CEO, Partisan & Political Tech Summit
Sam Jeffers, Executive Director, Who Targets Me
Michael Baldassaro, Data Scientist, The Carter Center (moderator)

Session

15:00 – 16:30

Plenary Reflections from Parallel Sessions

Facilitated reporting from session hosts and open discussion

Holly Ruthrauff, Team Leader, Election Observation and Democracy Support (EODS)
Adam Busuleanu, European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE)

Closing Session

17:00 – 18:00

INNOVATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN ELECTION OBSERVATION: STRENGTHENING FOLLOW-UP FRAMEWORKS FOR LASTING IMPACT

Hosted by OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and European Platform for Democratic Elections

This session will explore the opportunities and risks of social networks in elections. The discussion will highlight lessons learned, good practices, and ongoing challenges in the digital sphere of elections. ODIHR and EPDE will share recent experiences on assessing the impact of online campaigning on electoral integrity and on implementing related recommendations. Electoral management bodies will present approaches for addressing challenges they faced and will reflect on how the recommendations can help them.

Tatyana Hilscher-Bogussevich, External Consultant, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
Sona Ayvazyan, Executive Director, Transparency International Anticorruption Center
Domenico Tuccinardi, Executive Director, EDGE Foundation
Lusine Badalyan, Senior Election Adviser, OSCE/ODIHR (moderator)

Speakers

Days

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Supported by

The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the opinion of donors or partners.

Follow-Up on Recommendations’ Implementation Conference

23-24 September 2025

23-24 September 2025

European Parliament | Comet Meetings - Louise, Brussels

Technologies for Trust: Innovating for Election Integrity in a Changing Global Order

(thematic scope)

(approach)

The conference will also highlight the importance of robust follow up frameworks for implementing election observation recommendations, frameworks that should be developed and supported collectively by policymakers, tech companies, election management bodies, and civil society.

Preliminary Agenda

Preliminary Agenda

Day 1: 23 Sept 2025

High-Level Event

Room SPINELLI 5E2, European Parliament

Opening Remarks and Keynote Discussion

14:00 – 14:30

SAFEGUARDING DATA-DRIVEN ELECTIONS IN A SHIFTING GLOBAL ORDER: CHALLENGES FOR EUROPE

Discussion

14:30 – 15:30

SECURING ELECTIONS IN A WEAPONIZED INFORMATION SPACE: THE EU’S RESPONSE TO AUTHORITARIAN AND DIGITAL THREATS

Discussion

16:00 – 17:00

ALGORITHMS, ADS, AND INFLUENCE: SOCIAL MEDIA, DATA, AND THE CRISIS OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE TRANSPARENCY

Discussion

17:15 – 18:45

ENHANCING THE IMPACT OF ELECTION OBSERVATION: TOWARDS A COORDINATED FOLLOW-UP FRAMEWORK

Hosted by Future Shift Lab

Hosted by EDGE Foundation

Hosted by International IDEA

Hosted by Civic Resilience Initiative

Hosted by National Democratic Institute (NDI)

Hosted by The Carter Center

Speakers

Registration is currently closed

Supported by

.

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