During the past year the project was successfully implemented against the outputs and activities outlined in the phase II project document, building further on the achievements and strong relationships established during the implementation of the previous phase. This report is a narrative of these achievements, of the initiatives the project supported during the first year of phase II, and of the lessons and opportunities that shaped project activities during the period between June 2017 and June 2018. In line with the project document, the first year activities of continued to be focused on strengthening the regional electoral capacity, professionalizing administrative functions through regional cooperation, promoting cooperation with and between key regional electoral entities - ArabEMBs and the League of Arab States, and advocating for the inclusion of women and youth in electoral processes.