Results management approaches can play useful roles in making democracy assistance projects more effective and enhancing their impact.
Robust and relevant approaches to planning, implementation and monitoring of projects, and feeding back learning, have proved useful for achieving and assessing results in democracy assistance.
As 2016 draws to a close, I would like to bring your attention to the important issue of money in politics.
International IDEA participated in the 2016 Bali Democracy Forum themed “Religion, Democracy and Pluralism” on 8-9 December.
This year will be remembered as the year that put direct democracy back on the agenda.
This year has been dubbed ‘the year of direct democracy’.
Opportunities and Challenges to Democracy in 2016
The case for direct democracy
Direct democracy is here to stay and should be welcomed. Direct democracy mechanisms such as referendums, citizens’ initiatives, agenda initiatives, and recall votes, reinforce the fundamental principle of democratic self-governance, provide a check on the tendency of representatives to become disconnected from their electors, and can enhance the popular legitimacy underpinning key political decisions.
Granting citizens a direct say in political decisions is often part of the political system in a country.
It is crucial to make a clear distinction between the different mechanisms and procedures of direct democracy. The terminology used by the jurisdictions can vary to describe the various direct democracy instruments. Therefore it is essential to agree on common definitions for the same institutions and processes.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the individual author. 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.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the individual author. 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.
On the 15-16th December, 2016, International IDEA's Secretary-General Yves Leterme took part in the high-level opening session of the “Warsaw Dialogue for Democracy 2016: From past to future: strengthening democratic values” in which he stressed the importance of fighting corruption and increasing democratic accountability to address the root causes of the current crisis of representation.
This Discussion Paper examines political instability in Papua New Guinea (PNG) by tracking the country’s changes of government and discussing both the constitutional amendments made to prolong the life of governments and the Supreme Court’s responses to these amendments. It also discusses the importance of ministerial tenure for government continuity and effective public administration.
The 9th Bali Democracy Forum provided the perfect opportunity for International IDEA, the Community of Democracies and the United Nations Programme for Development (UNDP) to hold the Asia-Pacific consultation on political empowerment of women. The consultation represents the second regional consultation on this issue, after another was held in November 2016, which focused in Europe.
The interlinkages between governance, economics, assistance and security attract growing interest in aid policy arenas. A recent book published under the auspices of the Pacific Basin Research Center, entitled The Evolution of Development Thinking, reviews the progress and shortfalls in addressing such issues. In particular, it assesses the effectiveness of more robust mechanisms for citizen participation and more inclusive governance within the development process.
During International IDEA's Council of Member States meeting on 8-9 December, and in the presence of Yves Leterme, Secretary-General of International IDEA, Mongolia, represented by the Chargé d'affaires of the Mongolian Embassy in Sweden, Bulgan Enkhtuvshin, handed over the Chairship of International IDEA to Peru, represented by the Ambassador of Peru to Sweden, José Beraún Aranibar. Peru will take up its role as the Chair of International IDEA in 2017.
On November 23, the book “Argentina: Una sociedad anómica” (“Argentina: An Anomic Society”) was launched at the bar association Colegio de Abogados, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The book was presented by its authors Antonio María Hernández, an Attorney specialised in constitutional law, Eduardo Fidanza, the Director of Poliarquía and Daniel Zovatto, Director for Latin America and the Caribbean of International IDEA.
International IDEA has conceptualized this Framework in order to provide an example of the main elements of an internal gender policy for an electoral management body (EMB).
Its purpose is to support EMBs in their aspirations and efforts to create their own internal gender policies in recognition of their mandates and political status in different countries around the world.
Today, Benin joined International IDEA as the 30th Member State of the organization. At the Council meeting held in Stockholm today, Member States approved Benin’s membership application and welcomed Benin, represented by Ambassador Eusèbe Agbangla, to International IDEA.
The Republic of Benin will be the seventh country from the African continent to become a Member of International IDEA (in addition to Botswana, Cape Verde, Ghana, Mauritius, Namibia and South Africa).
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) has organized a discussion on “Political Participation in Times of Mass Migration and Refugee Crises” at UN Headquarters today.
“Since I was born, I never got to vote. The same person has been in power for 30 years. Nothing would change if I could vote”, said Yaccub Said Islam of Cameroon.
