Capacity development workshop on protecting elections in Panama

The workshop included 31 participants (13 women, 18 men) from the TE and other electoral stakeholders such as Fiscalía General Electoral (Electoral Prosecutor General's Office), La Asociación Panameña de Debate (Aspade), Centro de Estudios y Monitoreo Digital (CEMD), and Centro Internacional de Estudios Políticos y Sociales (CIEPS), Foro Nacional de Mujeres de Partidos Políticos (Fonamupp) and the Instituto de Estudios Democráticos (INED). Among the facilitators were representatives from International IDEA, the Electoral Tribunal, the Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales (ONPE) of Peru, and UN Women.  

The 2-day workshop focused on the integrated framework for protecting elections with a focus on the benefits of management safeguards such as electoral risk management, resilience-building, and crisis management processes when dealing with risks, threats, and crises, while ensuring gender sensitivity and inclusiveness. Key themes included combating mis- and disinformation, the impact of extreme weather on elections, and addressing gender-based discrimination and violence.  

The curriculum implemented by International IDEA was developed as part of the Protecting Elections project and customized to meet the Panamanian stakeholders' needs. The methodology combined expert presentations, break-out sessions, icebreakers, brainstorming, reflective discussions, and extensive tabletop exercises. The event provided a safe space to learn about best practices, reflect on domestic conditions, and forge inter-agency shared understandings. The workshop served as a sequel to the event held in February 2025 and aimed to further empower national stakeholders in protecting electoral integrity.  

Capacity development is part of International IDEA’s broader commitment to support electoral stakeholders worldwide. Looking ahead, International IDEA and the TE will organize a multi-stakeholder meeting focusing on a Panama-specific challenge. At the end of the Project, partners will engage in the lessons-learned effort to ensure that the resources delivered – including a guide, self-assessment tool, training curriculum and resources’ toolkit – build on these practices. For more information, visit the International IDEA Protecting Elections project page.