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Similar to elections and other democratic processes, the global COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impact on international election observation. In this podcast we discuss the changing nature of international election observation during and beyond the pandemic. Will election observation ever go back to the old normal? How was election observation changing even before the pandemic struck?

Below is the abstract of the article published in The ELECTION LAW JOURNAL (Volume 19, Number 3, 2020) authored by Sead Alihodzic, Senior Programme Manager in the Electoral Processes Programme, International IDEA and Toby S. James, Professor of politics and public policy in the School of Politics, Philosophy, Language, and Communication Studies at the University of East Anglia, UK.

In several countries, political parties are stepping up their digital presence in the online world. This creates opportunities for political parties to reach a wider potential audience or membership base. Digitalization has been an ongoing process in political parties across the globe, and the current pandemic is likely to accelerate this process.

As the COVID-19 pandemic is unfolding, with a second wave of infections already being experienced by various countries, a wide range of approaches are being taken by authorities

Determined to strengthen its support to democracy practitioners who face ever-increasing risks in the organization of elections, International IDEA provides open access to its Electoral Risk Management Tool (ERM Tool) source codes.  With this initiative, the Institute encourages users to further customize the instrument to their needs and share any improvements with their peers.

Interim governance arrangements are an institutional framework established to create a ‘bridge’ from a situation of governance that has been interrupted by political or violent crisis often situated in an authoritarian past, towards a more peaceful, inclusive and democratic government. 

This Report provides an understanding of how temporary governance during major political transitions is structured and how it works in practice.

Direct public participation is a feature of almost every exercise in constitution-building in the 21st century.

This issue of Constitutional INSIGHTS examines three different forms of direct public participation in constitution-building—consultation, deliberation and decision-making—and identifies ways to promote inclusive and meaningful direct public participation.

The inclusion and participation of combatants in constitution-building processes raises a number of distinctive issues.

Constitutional INSIGHTS No. 5 examines the rationales for including combatants in constitution-building, the challenges this presents and some of the mechanisms that might be used to support their participation in constitution-building processes.

The key findings on tracking the progress on SDG 16 using the Global State of Democracy Indices data are as follows:

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this commentary are those of the authors. This commentary is independent of specific national or political interests. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the institutional position of International IDEA, its Board of Advisers or its Council of Member States.

To mark the importance of democracy, International IDEA will be celebrating and involved in various activities and dialogues on strengthening a more democratic world.

Join us and our partners in commemorating the International Day of Democracy throughout the entire second week of September.

#DefendDemocracy

15 -18 September 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has had huge implications for elections around the world in 2020. At least 70 countries and territories across the globe decided to postpone either national or subnational elections between 21 February and 31 August.

On 24–25 October 2019, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA)—together with the Edinburgh Centre for Constitutional Law (ECCL) and the Political Settlements Research Programme (PSRP) at the University of Edinburgh—hosted the inaugural event in a series of forums to be known as the Women Constitution-Makers’ Dialogue.

On 10 August 2020, the government of the People’s Republic of China announced it would sanction several leaders of pro-democracy organizations, including Carl Gershman, President of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED); Ambassador Derek Mitchell, President of the National Democratic Institute (NDI); Daniel Twinning, President of the International Republican Institute (IRI); and Micha

El 10 de agosto de 2020, el gobierno de la República Popular China anunció que sancionaría a varios líderes de las organizaciones a favor de la democracia, entre ellos Carl Gershman, presidente de National Endowment for Democracy (NED); el embajador Derek Mitchell, presidente del Instituto Nacional Demócrata (NDI); Daniel Twinning, presidente del

The Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in Constitutions Assessment Tool helps users to analyse a constitution from the perspective of indigenous peoples’ rights.

This article is available in English.

IDEA Internacional se entristece profundamente al enterarse de la repentina muerte de Keboitse Machangana, una defensora infatigable de la democracia y los derechos de las mujeres. Extendemos nuestras condolencias a su familia.