Elections Canada says the United Nations has authorized Ottawa to hold an international conference later this month on the upcoming Iraqi election.

Twenty delegations, mostly from Arab countries, will be invited to Ottawa on Dec. 19 and 20, to review preparations for the Jan. 30 vote. Discussions will also include assessments of how international experts can observe the vote.

The chief electoral officer, Jean-Pierre Kingsley, said in a news release that "Elections Canada plays an active role on the world scene, offering its experience to new democracies and international organizations dedicated to the promotion of democratic electoral processes. This forum will once again put a spotlight on what we do."

Jean-Pierre Kingsley (File Photo)

Canada will not be sending monitors to Iraq because there are no guarantees of safety for observers.

Since 1990, Elections Canada has organized more than 355 international democratic development missions in some 94 countries around the world, according to a release on its website.