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Today, electoral democracy is the global norm rather than the exception. It thus becomes incumbent that voters are aware of key facts: to make a well-informed decision on voting, as well as to follow steps that guarantee a valid vote. Thanks to wider access to media, informed voting has never been more possible, yet today we see it is in peril.

Information and communication technologies are increasingly prevalent in electoral management and democratic processes, even for countries without any form of electronic voting.

These technologies offer numerous new opportunities, but also new threats. Cybersecurity is currently one of the greatest electoral challenges. It involves a broad range of actors, including electoral management bodies, cybersecurity expert bodies and security agencies.

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) signed a memorandum of understanding to work closely together to address risks of new financial instruments such as cryptocurrencies in political finance.

Global challenges are growing considerably and there is a pressing need for all key actors to get together and coordinate actions that can guarantee that we all tackle issues related to democracy, good governance and sustainable development in the best possible way.

يوفر هذا الدليل منهجية تمكن مؤسسات المجتمع المدني العاملة في مجال المراقبة الانتخابية في المنطقة العربية من إصدار تقاريرها بطريقة مبنية على منهج علمي بعيدة عن التحاليل والانطباعات الشخصية أو غير  الموضوعية.

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance’s (International IDEA) Council of Member States has selected Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora as the Institute’s new Secretary-General.

The global average for women’s representation in parliaments was 24 per cent in January 2019. Political parties are identified as responsible for women’s underrepresentation, given their role as the main gatekeepers of elected decision-making positions in most countries.

The key findings on press freedom derived from the most recent update to the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Indices data are as follows:

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.

You may have heard “Litecoin”, “Ripple” or “Ethereum” tossed around in conversation. If not, you’ve certainly heard of “Bitcoin”—the most popular of virtual mediums of exchange, known as cryptocurrencies. Over the decade since their inception, these digital monies have taken the finance world by storm.

While there are general principles that apply to the judiciary in all federations, there are different ways of structuring a federal judiciary and allocating authority, or competence, to it.

Each approach raises different issues for consideration and decision. The choices made can be informed by comparative experience but will depend on the context and preferences of each federation.

More than 600 persons gathered in the premises of the Third Age University in Bruges, Belgium, to listen to Secretary-General Yves Leterme as he delivered a presentation and answered questions on the state of democracy around the world.

Cryptocurrencies are a new form of digital money or asset that could drastically change the flow of resources around the world.

Transparency in the funding of  campaigns, political parties and democratic politics is at the heart of the international anti-corruption agenda.

The adoption of commitments on political finance transparency as part of the Open Government Partnership is an important step in that direction.

A lack of information on how much money circulates in and around elections, where resources are coming from and how they are spent could facilitate corruption and undermine integrity of political participation and representation. Transparency in the funding of political parties and election campaigns plays a key role in advancing global anti-corruption agenda.

International Women’s Day presents an opportunity to take stock and reinforce the sought-after goals for women’s empowerment in all spheres of life. The global pursuit to #BalanceforBetter can only be attained when there is zero tolerance for any form of discrimination against women and girls, when there is no impunity for violence against all women and girls, not because they are daughters, sisters, wives or mothers but simply because they are human.

The key findings on political gender equality derived from the most recent update to the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Indices data are as follows.

This issue of the GSoD In Focus explores the contribution that the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Indices can make to the review of progress on the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Committed to the principles and practices of democracy, the Secretary-General as the most senior officer of International IDEA, is ultimately responsible for the leadership of the institute, ensuring the mobilization of political and financial support to expand the Institute’s impact and relevance.

Collective demands for the constitutional accommodation of territorial cleavages are pervasive across very diverse contexts.

In many countries, political identification on the basis of territory is a central basis of political mobilization, around which political claims are framed, political parties formed, elections contested, governments composed, and constitutional claims made and resisted.