This International IDEA Handbook tackles the question of how democracies can deliver social and economic rights, include all citizens in decision making and reduce poverty.
The Handbook is presented as a two-volume set that explores ways in which democratic practice can contribute to the management of contemporary conflicts and promote the realization of security and development objectives.
In recent decades there has been considerable activity in the making or revision of constitutions. This activity reflects a changed perception of the importance and purposes of constitutions.
An effective parliament is vital to the success of any transition from conflict to peace. Yet in many post-conflict situations, parliament no longer exists or has only recently been restored.
One of the most poignant lessons learned from peacebuilding endeavours in recent years is that, while the international community must immediately reconstruct and recreate legitimate national-level administration in countries emerging from civil war, without simultaneous initiatives to develop legitimate local-level governance sustainable peace will remain elusive.
The choice of electoral system is one of the most important institutional decisions for any democracy.
The Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and the Code of Conduct for International Election Observers establish the basis for credible international election observation.
This 2005 edition of Women in Parliament: Beyond Numbers covers women’s access to the legislature in three steps.
Collaboration between the World Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and International IDEA goes back to November 2000. It includes roundtables on national dialogue, country development strategies, and middle-income countries’ development experience, with a focus on Latin America.
This regional report on voter turnout is based on the IDEA Voter Turnout Database, which contains statistics from 170 countries for parliamentary and presidential elections since 1945 and is continually updated.
How does a newly democratized nation constructively address the past to move from a divided history to a shared future?
How do people rebuild coexistence after violence?
This Handbook presents a range of tools that can be, and have been, employed in the design and implementation of reconciliation processes. Most of them draw on the experience of people grappling with the problems of past violence and injustice.
What constitutes a fair electoral system and a fair election? What are the guiding principles for reviewing electoral legislation?
This document sets out the basic legal components governing elections for the purpose of reviewing, drafting or amending electoral legislation. It aims to contribute to promoting uniformity, reliability, consistency, accuracy as well as professionalism in elections.
This Handbook, originally published in 2002 and now out of print, is a robust guide to assessing the quality of democracy and human rights. It introduces an easy-to-use and universal methodology for assessing the condition of democracy in any country, or its progress in democratization.
International IDEA's first Handbook, Electoral System Design was published in 1997, with a second edition in 2002.
The Handbook gives a comprehensive overview of the electoral systems in use in more than 200 states and territories. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different electoral systems, the factors to consider when modifying or designing an electoral system and provides insights into why certain countries choose particular systems.
International IDEA’s Voter Turnout Database provides updated and reliable information about voter turnout from around the world. This report includes statistics from more than 1,600 parliamentary and presidential elections in over 170 countries held between the end of World War II and 2002.
At the start of the 21st century, there is a dramatic revival in emphasis on local democracy.
This report discusses the problem of low youth voter turnout internationally, explores its causes and suggests practical ways to raise young people’s interest and participation in politics. It includes statistical illustrations, graphics and samples of posters and voter materials from around the world.
This Code of Conduct assumes that governments, parties, organizations and individuals are each committed to multiparty pluralism and the democratic process.
The end-game of violent conflict is perhaps the most difficult phase of transformation in a hugely difficult process.
In that phase, parties need two overall aids. They need to be able to avail themselves of the most effective and appropriate dialogue process to facilitate their negotiations; and they then need to successfully negotiate a sustainable settlement by putting in place effective and appropriate democratic structures and political institutions.
The original edition of Women in Parliament: Beyond Numbers, published in 1998, was produced as part of International IDEA’s work on women and political participation.
Since its release, the picture regarding women’s political participation has slowly changed. Overall, the past decade has seen gradual progress with regard to women’s presence in national parliaments.
This Code of Conduct is designed to assist election administrators by providing general guidelines for their work.
