International IDEA’s Council of Member States, chaired by Canada, unanimously approved the United States of America to become an Observer to International IDEA on 1 December 2022.
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On 15 August, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for a snap election. This September election, a full two years before the next elections were due, was an opportunistic move. As leader of the Liberal Party, Trudeau had been governing with a plurality (but not a majority) of the seats in the House of Commons since 2019. In the summer of 2021, the Liberal Party was polling well, and the election call was an attempt to translate that polling support into a majority government.
Over the past 25 years, I have lived in countries struggling to realize democracy. From Cambodia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka to the southern Caucasus, I have worked with committed democrats to design credible election systems, build independent institutions, develop effective checks and oversight, and create inclusive and competent representative bodies.
What are women and youth commissions? What purpose do they serve? How are they formed? Do they further marginalize women and youth or bring them into the folds of decision-making?