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A Forum on Political Party Cooperation through Dialogue being held in Port au Prince, Haiti on 27–29 June aims to stimulate understanding of the importance of political party dialogue for identifying opportunities and strategies to overcome the challenges facing post-conflict democracies.

In context of IDEA’s support to the Africa Union Commission’s (AUC) Department of Political Affairs (DPA) and the IDEA-AU Joint Activity Plan (JPA), a project is currently being implemented to establish entry points to accelerate ratification of the African Charter on Democracy, Governance and Elections.

On 15 June some 32,975,158 registered voters made their way to 89,391 polling stations across Colombia for the second round of voting to elect president and vice president for the 2014-18 term.

El pasado 15 de junio se llevó a cabo la segunda ronda electoral (balotaje) en Colombia para la elección de Presidente y Vice Presidente, correspondientes al periodo 2014-2018. Al igual que en la primera ronda, estaban convocados 32.975.158 de electores inscritos, distribuidos en 89.391 mesas de votación.

At a time when political party dialogue is considered the only way forward in many polarized contexts within the Arab world, International IDEA is hosting a workshop on 24–25 June on the role of political party dialogue in democratic consolidation to stimulate discussion and share best practice.

Gender quotas are numerical targets that stipulate the number or percentage of women that must be included in a candidate list or the number of seats to be allocated to women in a legislature. They aim to reverse discrimination in law and practice and to level the playing field for women and men in politics.

Uruguay’s 1996 constitutional reform included an innovative approachⁱ to electoral matters: all political parties were required to hold open and simultaneous elections to elect their presidential candidates four months before the presidential election. This is obligatory even if there is no competition for the candidacy within a political party.

Alicia Lissidini, Profesora Titular Escuela de Política y Gobierno, Universidad Nacional de San Martín

The Model Curriculum for the Master of Arts in Electoral Policy and Administration (MEPA) offers a comprehensive one-year programme for election professionals designed to equip its graduates with solid knowledge and ability to handle complex professional challenges.

International IDEA is a strong advocate for the inclusion of democracy both as a goal in its own right and as an enabler in the post-2015 Development Agenda, and is hosting an Inter-Regional Dialogue on Democracy (IRDD) workshop on 17–18 June to encourage inter-regional discussion and knowledge sharing on this issue.

Non-acceptance of unconstitutional change of government (UCG) has become a central African norm since 1995.

For decades, non-interference in state affairs characterized politics in the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and became a cornerstone of inter-African relations. Against this historical backdrop, it is remarkable that the obligation to reject UCG was incorporated into the 2002 Constitutive Act of the OAU’s successor, the African Union (AU).

Regional organizations have made significant progress in promoting democratic norms. In the Americas, the Inter-American Democratic Charter (IADC), enacted by the Organization of American States (OAS), is a clear manifestation of Member States' formal commitment to defend democratic principles and ideals.

Ethnic conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Kosovo erupted one after another following the break-up of Yugoslavia.

The severity of the unfolding crises, the likelihood of spillover in the region and the immediate danger the conflicts presented for neighbouring European Union member states induced the EU to become extensively involved in state building and conflict management in three countries.

This Discussion Paper analyses the constitution-building process that took place between 2008 and 2010 in Kenya, particularly the role and involvement of the African Union (AU), including its Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the AU Commission.

The 2001 Inter-American Democratic Charter (IADC) was the culmination of a series of efforts to consolidate democracy, and the result of responses and sanctions to address institutional breakdowns in the Americas. Its key feature is the ability to apply sanctions on states that violate democratic norms.

The presidential election in Colombia on 25 May had a surprising outcome. Even though opinion polls forecasted the need for a second round and picked up the stagnating level of support for President Juan Manuel Santos (who seeks a second consecutive term), as well as the recovery of Uribe’s successor, Oscar Ivan Zuluaga, the surprising fact was not Zuluaga’s win over Santos, but the difference between them: 29.25% vs. 25.69%, meaning almost 460,000 votes.

Las elecciones presidenciales colombianas del pasado 25 de mayo se saldaron con una sorpresa.

Democratic accountability for public service delivery is an important dimension of the post-2015 development agenda.

“The universal nature of democracy as something which people all over the world aspire to is clear from citizens’ own actions and demands for democracy.”

Some 32,975,158 registered electors voted at 89,391 polling stations on 25 May in Colombia to elect the President and Vicepresident for the 2014-18 term.