Elizabeth Côté, IFES’ Country Director in Guinea, spoke at the international conflict-research group swisspeace’s 2010 annual conference in Berne, Switzerland, on Nov. 16. The theme of the conference was “Ballots or Bullets? The potentials and challenges of elections in conflict contexts.”

Côté took part in a panel discussion on the role of the international community in developing, facilitating and evaluating electoral systems in countries experiencing conflict. She offered insight into recent events and challenges in Guinea, which after multiple delays held a tense presidential run-off election just days before the conference.

“It was a really wonderful experience and very timely for participants to hear about Guinea,” Côté said upon her return from the conference.

IFES currently is implementing the BEFORE project on conflict prevention in Guinea on behalf of swisspeace.

According to conference organizers, the theme of this year’s meeting was chosen to highlight the importance of elections in peace-building efforts since the 1980s and their role in helping governments in conflict situations gain legitimacy.

More than 225 researchers, diplomats and professionals representing the United Nations, the European Union, the Council of Europe, and international elections and peace-building organizations attended the conference. Additional panels discussed the effects of elections on conflict dynamics and how elections can be designed to be conflict sensitive.

Click here to read the Conference Paper accompanying Côté’s presentation on the importance of not pushing a country to hold elections before it is ready to do so. She gave the example of Guinea to illustrate her point.