Democracies worldwide are facing a decline in trust in public institutions and the political system affecting election management bodies and electoral processes in ways that risk contested elections and societal instability.
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Democracy is on trial in the climate crisis. It is charged with having failed to prevent dangerous climate change. To its critics, the very same features of democracy praised as its defining virtues—popular sovereignty, the accountability and responsiveness of elected officials, public debate and deliberation—are handicaps that impede effective climate action. However, this trial is not over and it would not be safe to deliver a verdict at this stage.
When elections take place in countries transitioning from authoritarianism to democracy, from deep political crises to stability, or from war to peace, their significance is greater than usual.
As we are nearing the end of 2017, it is an opportune time to look back and reflect on the year that has just gone by.
A credible voter register gives legitimacy to the electoral process and helps prevent electoral fraud.
However, voter registration remains a complex and contested task. It is one of the most important activities that an electoral management body needs to conduct, but it is also one of the most costly in terms of both time and resources.
Calls for the integrity of elections urge governments and international actors to attach importance to the professionalism of electoral management bodies, the regulation of political finance and the promotion of equal participation and representation of women and marginalized groups.
Building trust and professionalism in the management of electoral processes remains a major challenge for electoral management bodies (EMBs), institutions and/or bodies responsible for managing elections.
The ‘credibility gap’—the diminished public confidence in the integrity and diligence for many electoral institutions and their activities—is a common problem for EMBs around the world.
The end-game of violent conflict is perhaps the most difficult phase of transformation in a hugely difficult process.
In that phase, parties need two overall aids. They need to be able to avail themselves of the most effective and appropriate dialogue process to facilitate their negotiations; and they then need to successfully negotiate a sustainable settlement by putting in place effective and appropriate democratic structures and political institutions.