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A Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) took place on 3-4 December 2020 to address the Covid-19 pandemic and its health, humanitarian and socio-economic crisis around the world. International IDEA’s Secretary-General, Kevin Casas-Zamora, issued a written statement to address the special meeting and reiterate the importance of multilateral dialogue and the role of democracy in dealing with the current crisis and future recovery.

The International Development Law Organization (IDLO) organized and mediated the Crisis Governance Forum on 4 February 2021 to create a platform for stakeholders to share policymaking experiences in regards to the Covid-19 crisis and its global issues, and to discuss the response and recovery efforts that can advance our society and build back better, in accordance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Members of international organizations, UN diplomats and practitioners gathered on 19 - 20 November 2020 for the global virtual conference “Democracy Now and Next” to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). The conference offered a tour of democracy around the globe with12 sessions and 63 esteemed speakers celebrating the achievements accomplished by the Institute in all regions of the world.

African countries are still far from achieving women’s equal and effective participation in political decision-making.

Election Observation Missions (EOMs) have become an established part of the international electoral scene.

There are various challenges to democracy which have worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some countries have experienced democratic backsliding and other problems from the perspective of democratic participation, human rights and the rule of law.

Climate change is the existential issue of our time. How will it affect how democracies function? Are democracies well placed to deal with the long term challenges presented by rising world temperatures? What will be the impact of climate change on regional security and conflict?

The Secretary-General of International IDEA, Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora, talks to Andrew Gilmour, Executive Director of the Berghof Foundation.

Cortés, alegre e idealista: en muchos sentidos, Sol Arrúa aparece como cualquier otra chica de 21 años. Sin embargo, tan pronto traemos a la conversación los temas de política y liderazgo, los que más le apasionan, queda claro que hay mucho más detrás de esas primeras impresiones.

This article is available in English. 

Three local government mentors deployed in Rapti Rural Municipality, Deukhuri-3, Dang in Nepal interviewed a local female elected representative (ER) for International Women's Day 2021. 

● Would you mind telling us about your childhood and education?

Polite, buoyant, and idealist: In many ways, Sol Arrúa comes across as a regular 21-year-old. However, as soon as we bring up the subjects of politics and leadership, which she is most passionate about, it becomes clear that there is much more about Sol than meets the eye. 

Este artículo está disponible en español. 

Under the project “Working for a new era in protection of fundamental rights in Tunisia”, International IDEA organized a Moot Court Competition that centered around Article 49 of the Tunisian Constitution. This activity was the first of its kind, bringing together law faculties, students and leading practitioners from across the country to engage on cutting edge legal issues, including the application of the principle of proportionality.  

Global achievements of gender equality and empowerment of women and girls were at the core of the High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, Beijing 25+, held on 1 October 2020. 

Women’s active participation and decision-making in public life are crucial to their empowerment and equality, and it is through democracy and multilateral action that these goals can be fully achieved. International Women’s Day reaffirms the engagement and political cooperation of supporting gender equality and promoting policies that advance women empowerment.

The 2021 International Women’s Day (IWD) commemoration is taking place in an unprecedented global context due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has resulted in a “new normal” in relation to the various aspects of life, including changes in the strategies on political participation. 

Critical in any constitution-building process is the type of constitution-making body that will be responsible for the drafting but also the adoption of either a new or a reformed constitutional dispensation. But as important is the fac that any constitution-making body, big or small, elected, nominated or mixed, will have to have rules regulating its procedures.

En una sociedad todavía patriarcal y machista, Bolivia logró establecer la paridad política en la normativa nacional, pero eso no resuelve las dificultades que deben confrontar las mujeres para estar presentes en la política. Y no solo se trata de la violencia y el acoso político  sino también de la enorme carga del cuidado que asumen las mujeres de casi exclusiva por el peso de la cultura patriarcal.  

In a still patriarchal and macho society, Bolivia managed to establish political parity in national regulations, but that does not solve the difficulties that women must face in order to be present in politics. And it is not only about violence and political harassment but also about the enormous burden of care assumed by women almost exclusively due to the weight of patriarchal culture.

Collaborating for women’s empowerment and inclusion: Senior experts and actors of change put heads together in a cross-sectoral dialogue

#SheLeadsEU

Indira Oli is the vice-chair of Sanibheri Rural Municipality, West Rukum. Rukum is one of the places of origin of the decade-long civil war (1996-2006) in Nepal.

As a student union representative, she advocated for gender equality in the sector of education and politics. Moreover, the aim to provide equal rights for all economic classes during the civil war with the Maoist group motivated her to run for the elections and  to be a part of politics as a women representative. 

The International Knowledge Network of Women in Politics (iKNOW Politics iknowpolitics.org) is a joint project of International IDEA, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).