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On 4 September 2016 the African Union Commission (AUC) launched its first election observation mission exclusively staffed by women to the Republic of Seychelles.

The Kingdom of Bhutan is often overlooked when you look at the vast map of Asia. Sandwiched in between two giants, China and India, Bhutan has been a democracy since 2008. Unlike other Asian countries like Indonesia, the Philippines or Nepal, where democracy was a bottom-up demand, in Bhutan, democracy was the wish of His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuk, the Fourth King and father of the current King, the Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

On 28 October, International IDEA welcomed 16 female local councillors from Indonesia, Turkey, Kenya, Indonesia, Macedonia, Namibia, Uganda, Ukraine and South Africa.

Colombia tiene una historia marcada por grandes batallas, innumerables aflicciones y por el estridente deseo del pueblo colombiano por lograr una paz estable y duradera. Es lamentable ser testigo de cómo, a pesar de los esfuerzos, no se ha logrado alcanzar con éxito dicho propósito que mueve a los oriundos de una tierra mística, que respira democracia, inundada de diversidad y de riquezas naturales, rodeada de mar, y rebasada de gente pujante y optimista.

Colombia tiene una historia marcada por grandes batallas, innumerables aflicciones y por el estridente deseo del pueblo colombiano por lograr una paz estable y duradera. Es lamentable ser testigo de cómo, a pesar de los esfuerzos, no se ha logrado alcanzar con éxito dicho propósito que mueve a los oriundos de una tierra mística, que respira democracia, inundada de diversidad y de riquezas naturales, rodeada de mar, y rebasada de gente pujante y optimista.

Ulaanbaatar, or the “Red Hero” as it means in Mongolian, was the last stop for International IDEA’s Election Tech Tour of Asia 2016. Mongolia, which joined International IDEA in 2011, took the chairship only five years later, thus affirming its commitment to supporting sustainable democracy worldwide. One of its missions as chair is to share knowledge and experiences on the use of technology in elections.

The Secretary-General of International IDEA Yves Leterme, travelled on an official state visit to Santiago, Chile, to inaugurate International IDEA’s new regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean on 3 October. The office is relocating to Santiago, Chile from San Jose, Costa Rica, thanks to the generous support of the Government of Chile.

On 3 October 2016, the Spanish version of "Democratic Transitions: Conversations with World Leaders” was launched in Santiago, Chile, in the presence of more than 100 participants from the public and non-governmental sector in Chile. The launch included a panel discussion focused on the lessons learned from the Chilean transition to democracy.

The digitalization of all aspects of our lives has contributed to dramatically change the context for inter-personal and political communication, agenda-setting and policymaking.

On September 30, an extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between International IDEA and the Myanmar Union Election Commission (UEC) was signed by His Excellency UEC Chairman U Hla Thein and Yves Leterme, Secretary-General of International IDEA, at International IDEA’s Headquarters in Strömsborg, Stockholm. The agreement extends the collaborative partnership between International IDEA and the UEC until 2021. 

ADDIS ABABA - As part of their ongoing efforts to support the consolidation of sustainable democracy in Africa, the African Union Commission (AUC), the International Organization of La Francophonie (IOF) and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) are jointly organizing a technical workshop on “Civil Registration and Elections in Africa” in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from September 29 to 1 October 2016.   

Philippine policy makers and civil society have interesting discussions ahead about the role of technology in elections. What are the needs? What needs to be done differently? What needs to be improved? What new goals are to be achieved? These questions guided discussions as International IDEA’s Election Tech Tour of Asia moved on to Manila, the Philippines.

The low level of youth participation in political life is one of the biggest challenges facing representational democracy across the globe. In recent years, many countries have seen a sharp increase in their youth population. Over half the world’s population of 7.4 billion is currently aged between 20 and 44. In Africa, a combination of high fertility rates and low life expectancy has resulted in a “youth bulge”.

By Anna Brito

Political parties are in crisis. Party membership and voter turnout are very much in decline around the world. The rise of social media has allowed citizen movements to become more frequent, leaving formal political institutions struggling to maintain relevance. Political parties are central actors in a representative democracy, but they must adjust to the changing social and political climate. 

In recent years technological advances have changed the basis of many activities. Banks around the world are closing offices and focusing their services on online applications. They know one thing for certain: few young people visit their branches anymore. Most prefer to bank using their computers or even their smartphones.

Today 43 families are mourning in Mexico. In fact, the whole country is looking back at what happened exactly two years ago to the Ayotzinapa students.

Political parties are the centrepiece of political representation in democratic systems.