The XVI Inter-American Meeting of Electoral Management Bodies (RAE, for its acronym in Spanish), which brings together the highest-level representatives of electoral bodies from across the hemisphere, was inaugurated in Ottawa, Canada, organized by the General Secretariat of the Organization of the American States (OAS) and Elections Canada, with the support of the government of Canada. The current edition involves the participation of 49 delegates from 31 electoral bodies of 27 OAS member states. The opening of the event was headed by Francisco Guerrero, the OAS Secretary for Strengthening Democracy; Stéphane Perrault, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada; and Jason Tolland, Director General for South America and Inter-American Affairs, Global Affairs Canada. Elder Claudette Commanda, from the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, opened the event with a traditional ceremony.
During the XVI RAE, electoral authorities addressed topics such as artificial intelligence in elections, conflict management in electoral processes, the role and protection of electoral observers, and effective models for the regulation, transparency, and control of political financing.