New Zealand maintains a robust, long-established democratic system in the South Pacific. It enjoys a reputation for integrity and is generally ranked among the world’s top countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. The outbreak of Covid-19 and the consequent first postponement of an election since World War II failed to mar that status.
On 9 May 2023, International IDEA presented findings and recommendations from 'Elections in Emergencies and Crisis: Lessons for Electoral Integrity from the Covid-19 Pandemic' at the parliamentary conference “Election in Times of Crisis” organized by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the Swiss Parliament.
During a crisis such as a public emergency, the effectiveness of parliaments should be assessed by considering their ability to activate in a timely manner the necessary disaster management legislative framework, and to provide oversight to ensure that such legislation is applied by the executive in a necessary, non-discriminatory and proportional way.
STOCKHOLM, May 8 – Electoral reforms should be undertaken worldwide to learn the lessons from holding elections during the pandemic and prepare for future emergency situations, leading researchers have said in a new book.
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and the Electoral Integrity Project (EIP) have published a new extensive volume learning the lessons of holding elections during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Elections often have to be held in emergency situations. The Covid-19 pandemic was one of the most serious emergency situations that the world has seen. The rapid spread of the virus presented a huge humanitarian threat—but also an unparalleled challenge to electoral stakeholders globally seeking to protect electoral integrity during times of uncertainty. This volume identifies how the pandemic affected electoral integrity, what measures were put in place to protect elections and what worked in defending them.
Emerging from the most chronic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, countries in Asia and the Pacific region are facing challenges as governing systems in the region grapple with the stressors associated with the pandemic.
Lessons for future elections can been drawn from both the success and failures of the Republic of Korea’s 20th presidential election in 2022, which was, in part, significantly informed by the 2020 National Assembly election.
International IDEA participated in the SDG16 Conference 2022 in Rome on 21-22 April 2022, on behalf of the SDG16 Data Initiative. Building on the outcome of the 2019 and 2021 editions, the 2022 Conference explored how a people-centered approach to governance can help rebuild trust, accelerate progress towards sustainable development and tackle the challenges facing a post-pandemic world.
When it became known in early 2020 that Covid-19 was becoming a global pandemic, it also became clear that governmental responses to the pandemic would have significant effects on democracy and human rights. With two years of data from International IDEA’s Global Monitor of Covid-19’s Impact on Democracy and Human Rights, we can take stock of what has happened and in which areas the events align with or differ from our expectations about how a pandemic might affect these vital areas of public life.
After months of anticipation, on 16 January the presidential election in Timor-Leste was called for 19 March 2022. Electors will choose between 16 candidates—four women and twelve men—running for the post of President. Should no candidate receive a majority, the country will see a run-off one month later on 19 April.
