From left to right: Nicci Simmonds, Joseph Cain, Sylvanna Deireragea, Marni Gilbert.

The NEC Electoral Commissioner, Joseph Cain, met with New Zealand representatives H.E. High Commissioner to Nauru, Nicci Simmonds, and Development Officer Marni Gilbert. Discussions focused on New Zealand’s support to the NEC.

New Zealand is a co-sponsor with Australia, and with support from the Government of Nauru, of an ongoing project – the Nauru Electoral Support Project (NESP) – to strengthen the capacity of the Electoral Commission and create a more inclusive and transparent electoral process. The project has been initiated by the Electoral Commission of Nauru (NEC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and will run until June 2020.

The Nauru Electoral Support Project (NESP) is working on a number of activities including strengthening civic education and voter awareness, supporting the Electoral Commission with legal and technical advisory capacity and enhancing women’s electoral participation.