Africa & West Asia

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Lowering the voting-age limit to increase youth participation in politics

Because the level of engagement in politics by youth remains lower than that of older generations, Africa’s youth bulge is leading to an emerging crisis of representation.

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The Africa and West Asia region is undergoing constant change. Some countries in the region are moving towards multi-party elections that are mostly free, fair and peaceful.

However, democracy faces several considerable challenges, and in some areas, problems are resurfacing after a period of improved conditions. Problems that concern the entire region include weak political institutions, the underrepresentation of women in political life and limited media freedom.

What's Going On

Jan
15
2019

Image credit: Erik Asplund, International IDEA

Image credit: Erik Asplund, International IDEA

Event

Violence Against Women in Political and Electoral Processes: Electoral Risk Management Workshop

Nov
27
2018

Credit: Pixabay

Event

Annual Democracy Forum (2018): Inclusive Democracy for Sustainable Development

Nov
21
2018

News Article

IGAD and International IDEA sign memorandum of understanding to promote peace and security

Nov
20
2018

Group photograph of the 2018 New Commissioners' Orientation participants held in Lilongwe in April 2018. Photo credit: Chris Sekani (HAAG Photo Graphics)

Group photograph of the 2018 New Commissioners' Orientation participants held in Lilongwe in April 2018. Photo credit: Chris Sekani (HAAG Photo Graphics)

Event

New Commissioners Orientation

Nov
07
2018

Ethiopia's first female Supreme Court President Meaza Ashenafi. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Ethiopia's first female Supreme Court President Meaza Ashenafi. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Commentary

Establishing confidence in the judiciary: Why Meaza Ashenafi should lead a process of judicial vetting

Nov
05
2018

publication

Financing of electoral processes: An investment for inclusive and sustainable democracy

Databases & Tools

Database

ICTs in Elections Database

Learn the global patterns of usage of ICTs in elections and the problems and challenges countries are facing today...

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Tool

Youth Democracy Academy

YDA is designed to ensure that young people, too often marginalized from political processes, are equipped with...

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Social Media Activity

Country & Regional Support

African Union Commission

Our office in Addis Ababa works closely with the African Union (AU).

We formalized our relationship with the AU Commission in a Memorandum of Understanding signed in Accra, Ghana, on 30 June 2007 during the African Union Summit. We actively contributed to the development of the AU Charter as well as the establishment of the AU's electoral assistance programme, and the electoral assistance fund. International IDEA and the AU have also collaborated in areas such as the land and governance, gender, and in political party strengthening.

Tunisia

Our office in Tunis has provided assistance to the Tunisian effort to organize free and fair elections.

More specifically, we were was asked to comment on the draft electoral law while it was still at a confidential stage. We equip societies by acknowledging respect for women’s political rights, supporting women in parliament and engaging electoral management bodies and citizens in the use of our tools and workshops.

Fostering national dialogue

We contribute to ongoing national dialogues surrounding democracy in the region.

We were invited to work with the national dialogue committee in Jordan, including on the development of a new electoral law, a new political parties law and some constitutional amendments in conjunction with the constitutional reform committee. Additionally, we broadened our number of contacts with the national dialogue committee in Morocco. Our representatives continue to provide support across the region for the constitutional building and revision processes.

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African Union

Africa & West Asia

What's Going On

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Country & Regional Support

African Union Commission

Tunisia

Fostering national dialogue

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