Advancing principles for electoral justice in Africa

News from the Field, 10 August 2012

UNDEF supports an initiative for higher standards of integrity in Africa’s electoral processes, resulting in the Accra Principles of Electoral Justice. In a project implemented by Tiri Integrity Action, the Principles were agreed to in Accra in 2011 by a diverse group including African chief justices, electoral leaders and civil society representatives. To apply the Principles in Sierra Leone’s November 2012 elections, Sierra Leone’s National Electoral Commission sought assistance from Dr. Patrick Rafolisy, head of Tiri’s Integrity Africa. The Electoral Commission also elaborated a self-assessment toolkit for nations to rate their success in applying the Principles.

Translated into four languages, the Principles have also been presented in Kenya and Uganda. Tiri is developing a website to further disseminate them, and is working to implement them in more countries across Africa. They were included as a key element of a course on electoral justice at the Central European Institute in Budapest, where the Institute facilitated the attendance of two members of Sierra Leone’s Accra Principles of Electoral Justice Steering Committee.