Elections are vital to democratic government, but they are not sufficient.

Too often, incumbents rig elections, illicit funding or media bias distort the electoral process, and losing candidates refuse to accept the results. Where elections are marred in these ways, people lose faith in democracy and the political process, and human rights and security are put at risk.

This report by the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security, launched in September 2012, highlights global threats to democratic progress and identifies major challenges to delivering elections with integrity. The Global Commission, jointly created by International IDEA and the Kofi Annan Foundation, includes eminent group of former leaders, Nobel Prize laureates and experts.

The Commission emphasizes that elections conducted with integrity not only promote democratic values and human rights, but also help to improve governance, fight corruption, empower minority groups and deliver services to the poor. Against this background, the report puts forward a comprehensive series of recommendations to strengthen electoral processes and norms worldwide.