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Since the effective collapse of central authority in Somalia in 1991, local systems have provided crucial platforms for governance. Local systems of governance continue to be relevant alongside efforts to rebuild the Somali state, such as attempts to revive formal pre-1991 local government institutions. 

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As part of the support for the political transition towards peaceful, inclusive and transparent elections, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) organized a signing ceremony for a Voluntary Code of Conduct by the candidates for the presidential election.

NAIROBI – Following the Cabinet’s approval on 11 February 2025, today on 24 March, Kenya signed on a Host Country Agreement with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), reinforcing its commitment to democratic governance in Africa.

#DemocracyForAll calls for leaving no one behind in political participation and representation. For young women in Sub-Saharan Africa, the barriers in political participation are evidence of deeply entrenched patriarchy in the society and political institutions.

This year’s theme for International Women's Day (IWD) 2025 – “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment” – is particularly apt for the continent of Africa and aligns with International IDEA's #DemocracyForAll advocacy theme, which promotes the political representation and democratic rights of historically excluded groups.

The ‘Sierra Leone Democracy Strengthening Project’ is a three and half year programme funded by the European Union, and aims to support Election Management Bodies, democratic institutions and the civil society, including the media and the democratic governance and reform processes in the years after the 2023 national elections, to contribute to further consolidation of democratic gains in the country.

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) continues to demonstrate its commitment to fostering learning and dissemination of good practices among electoral management bodies (EMBs) as a means of promoting electoral integrity and credible democratic processes through its support to regional EMB networks during the 2024 elections in Namibia and Ghana respectively.  

The European Union and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, organized, in partnership and to the benefit of the National Assembly, a two-day capacity-building session for the Communication Unit of the National Assembly. This event took place from February 14th to 15th, 2025, at the Bakadaji Hotel.

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance in partnership with the Gambia Press Union (GPU) and with support from the European Union (EU), from 4th to 5th February 2025, conducted a two-day capacity-building on media monitoring of ethical violations for GPU and Media Council.

Voter Turnout (VT) is determined by matching the total number of votes cast during an election against the total number of eligible voters. VT levels can be indicative of public attitudes and perceptions – high turnout can reflect high levels of interest and trust, while low VT can be a sign of disinterest or negative views of elections. 

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), in partnership with the National Human Rights Commission and with support from the European Union (EU), organized a two-day public consultation on the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) on Business and Human Rights from 8 - 9 January 2025.

From promoting political-party conflict resolution, to empowering women lawmakers battling both family opposition and online abuse, to pushing plans to monitor over 200 radios and 12 TV stations for inflammatory speech, International IDEA has played a crucial role helping the West Africa nation’s young, fragile but vibrant democracy.

Effective governance of mineral resources is vital to Africa’s sustainable development, with the potential to transform resource wealth into broad-based economic growth. With the right governance frameworks, the continent’s vast mineral endowments can benefit local communities, national economies and global markets. However, many African countries face ongoing challenges related to governance, transparency and the equitable distribution of resource revenues.

Women’s presence in politics is vital for shaping policy outcomes in the economic, social and cultural spheres. Despite progress over the past two decades, women remain under-represented in political leadership in Africa. This publication examines the factors motivating women’s participation and representation in politics on the continent, providing insights to enhance gender equality and empower women politically.

Despite its impressive natural resources, Africa has failed to realize equitable resource-based industrialization, remaining imprisoned in the neo-colonial paradigm of supplying the world with low-value-added primary commodities and importing high-value-added products and services. In 2009, the African Union’s Africa Mining Vision (AMV) outlined a vision and path for member states to pursue equitable resource-based industrialization.

Africa stands at a pivotal moment in the global shift towards a low-carbon future, driven by its abundance of critical minerals and its potential in green hydrogen fuel cell technology. Given that the International Energy Agency predicts a sixfold increase in critical mineral demand by 2040 to support the clean energy transition, Africa finds itself at the centre of strategic competition among global powers.

This report presents an overview of the historical, economic and regulatory dynamics that shape mineral resource governance in Botswana, as well as the ambitions for the sector that underpin the nation’s economic diplomacy aspirations. It demonstrates that governance frameworks that emerged in the context of the diamond industry have evolved and can provide for a diversified mining industry.

This report examines the role of civil society in times of war in Sudan, using the definition and scope of civil society to include all its modern and traditional formations—those working in humanitarian assistance or those working in governance and the rule of law.

هذا التقرير تم إنجازه بواسطة مدني عباس مدني، والذي له تاريخ طويل وغني مع المجتمع المدني في السودان، وساهم بقدر عالٍ في تصميم مسار المرحلة الانتقالية في السودان (٢٠١٩–٢٠٢١).