Explore all the policy recommendations
There should be greater coordination between all the different mediation and peacekeeping initiatives run by the UN, the League of Arab States, the African Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the EU and the USA—through the Good Offices of Special Envoys and high-level representatives—in addressing the ongoing security challenges, mediation and post-conflict management, especially in fragile countries and countries in transition, such as Sudan and Yemen.
Political parties, in collaboration with national parliaments, should advocate for review, reform and/or implementation of legislative provisions of electoral laws (where applicable) to ensure that structures, including political party campaign funds, are easily accessible to women political leaders. Reforms that promote more effective participation of women in political competition will greatly boost improved leadership governance at different levels.
State institutions, including governments, parliaments and independent bodies, should strive to improve the processes for policy formulation, implementation and evaluation in the democracy, elections and governance sectors. Modern mechanisms and innovations should be deployed for that purpose, including, but not limited to, tools for engaging in post-legislative scrutiny through the systematic generation and analysis of reliable data. Analysing how legislation and policies have been implemented, as well as their associated impacts, increases the chance that future policies and legislative actions will fulfil their original objectives.
National legislative frameworks regulating migrant worker rights require significant updates and/
or reform. With the rise of ethnonationalism, laws combating hate speech and xenophobia online also require strengthening and updating, in consultation with affected groups.
Provisions for declaring a state of emergency should be clearly and unambiguously articulated in relevant legislation, if not in the constitution. This process includes setting a timeline for adopting such exceptional measures and creating an oversight
role for the legislature and judiciary throughout the emergency.
Governments must address the emerging trend of increased gender-based violence with as much urgency as the global health pandemic. They should allocate specific budgets to establish community response systems for prevention and develop online portals for real-time reporting of gender-based violence. Furthermore, governments should put in place national initiatives to give justice systems the capacity to protect victims of gender-based violence and to prosecute sex offenders.
