This post looks at emergency law responses to the Covid-19 pandemic in conflict-affected states in transition. While some type of emergency response to Covid-19 has been used in most states, we suggest that conflict ‘fault lines’ can mean that emergency law responses have a capacity to undermine transitions.
The World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic on 11 March 2020. This global health crisis demanded a quick, decisive and efficient response by governments to protect lives, curb the spread of the virus and prevent public health systems from being overwhelmed.
Election Observation Missions (EOMs) have become an established part of the international electoral scene. Elections around the world have increasingly been observed, meaning that election observation has become widely accepted around the world and is commonly described as an international norm.
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.
At the start of the pandemic, many countries postponed elections. From June 2020, the trend shifted to holding elections. Thanks to information sharing and peer-to-peer exchanges, election authorities gained an understanding of the risks and prevention/mitigation measures. To date, more than 100 countries and territories have held national or subnational elections that were either on schedule or initially postponed with health and safety measures.
Special voting arrangements (SVAs) are designed to expand voting opportunities to individuals who are otherwise not able to vote. Safeguards that protect the equality, secrecy and transparency of the vote are vital for successful implementation of SVAs. Over the past few decades, countries across Europe have been increasingly adopting SVAs—particularly postal, early and mobile forms of voting. The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated their use throughout the year 2020.
Five former presidents of Latin America were of the view that Latin America has to achieve integration to be able to seek solutions to the economic and social challenges facing the region, as well as the health challenges posed by the spread of COVID-19. Former presidents Leonel Fernández of the Dominican Republic, Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica, Fernando H.
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a profound strain on electoral democracy worldwide. Many elections have been postponed, while others have been held with adaptation.
