The Electoral Processes (EP) and Africa and West Asia (AWA) teams sought to provide platforms for information exchange and guidance for election management bodies (EMBs) across the AWA region to alleviate uncertainty about the conduct of safe and democratic elections during the pandemic. International IDEA collaborated with two regional networks of EMBs to organize webinars in the Arab and southern Africa regions. These opened channels of communication and peer learning that culminated in peer assistance among EMBs that conducted elections in 2020.
The AWA team also contributed to knowledge production through support and input to the global EP team on International IDEA’s Global Overview of Covid-19: Impact on Elections. Moreover, the team provided technical assistance to the Democracy and Electoral Assistance Unit of the African Union Commission to develop the African Union Guidelines for Elections during Covid-19 and Other Public Health Emergencies. The Global Overview and Africa-specific media articles and engagements were key reference documents for EMBs navigating the difficult terrain of conducting elections.
Photo: Sandile Khouboni.