IFES Practitioner Brief on Alternative Dispute Resolution in Elections • Commit in good faith to attempt to resolve disputes through ADR mechanisms such as mediation or conciliation prior to filing with the formal mechanism. For National and Local Governments: • When relevant, appoint a representative in a timely manner to sit as a member of an ADR mechanism and ensure participation in trainings. Ensure representation of youth, women, minorities, Indigenous Peoples, and persons with disabilities. • Cooperate with ADR bodies as needed (for example, in the provision of facilities for ADR training or open sessions), while ensuring that the bodies remain impartial and are not dominated by the incumbent party. For the Media: • Monitor activities of ADR bodies; attend meetings to learn more about ADR and analyze its effectiveness. • Educate the media to clarify distinctions between formal and informal dispute resolution processes. • Request EMB to release data on ADR mechanisms and analyze and use data in reporting. For Conflict Prevention, Resolution and Peacebuilding Programs, and Researchers: • For conflict prevention, resolution, and peacebuilding programs: Ensure cooperation with the EMB for awareness-raising efforts around the existence of ADR mechanisms to resolve election disputes. Alternatively, identify trained mediators or conciliators in the community at the time of an election. • For researchers: Conduct research on the effectiveness of ADR mechanisms, and collect data on the types of disputes resolved through ADR to further contribute to filling the knowledge gap in this area. 15