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Blog by Martin Raiser and Suresh Yadav
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Blog: Partnering for prosperity across South Asia
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Over 20 Commonwealth election professionals have sharpened their skills following a five-day training course in Fiji, designed to strengthen electoral integrity and inclusion in the Pacific.
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Fiji hosts “transformative” conversation for election management professionals
The Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) has commended the government, civil society, stakeholders and people of Ghana for the orderly conduct of the general election in its interim statement.
The COG also praised the Vice President of Ghana, Mahamudu Bawumia, for the exemplary statesmanship displayed in his early concession speech.
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Commonwealth observers laud the orderliness of Ghana’s 2024 general elections
The COG also praised the Vice President of Ghana, Mahamudu Bawumia, for the exemplary statesmanship displayed in his early concession speech.
Following is the Commonwealth Secretary-General’s, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, statement for Human Rights Day, observed on 10 December.
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Statement by Commonwealth Secretary-General on Human Rights Day
On duty across Ghana, Commonwealth observers watched as the elections got off to a calm, peaceful and early start. Polling stations in most places observed by the group opened at 7am, with the people of Ghana casting their ballots for a president and members of parliament.
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Commonwealth Observer team members witness first ballots being cast at polling stations across Ghana
A Commonwealth Expert Team (CET) was deployed to Gabon to observe the Constitutional Referendum which was held in November 2024. At the end of their mission, they offered some reflections on the process.
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The Commonwealth Expert Team issues statement on the Gabon referendum
Last week, 28 senior government officials from Jamaica’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Human Rights (IMCHR) engaged in an intensive three-day workshop in Kingston, held from 19 to 21 November 2024.
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Commonwealth Human Rights Unit hosts capacity-building workshop for Jamaica’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Human Rights
As daylight broke over polling stations for Sri Lanka's presidential election in September, observers from across the Commonwealth were also present - marking its 200th election observation mission. They were there to assess the electoral process and make recommendations that, if implemented, can help foster public confidence, bolster electoral integrity and strengthen democratic institutions.
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Commonwealth supports its 200th election observation mission in Sri Lanka
The Commonwealth Secretariat has launched a publication, A Commonwealth Guide to Case Management, that seeks to help courts manage civil cases more efficiently. The guide, produced by the Secretariat’s Office of Civil and Criminal Justice Reform (OCCJR), is designed for practitioners, judicial officers and policymakers. It provides best practice and practical advice to improve court administration and proceedings.
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A guide aims to accelerate improved access to justice across the Commonwealth
The Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) has released its final report on Sri Lanka's September 2024 presidential election. The Sri Lankan government officially received the report following its parliamentary election on November 14.
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Commonwealth observers release final report on Sri Lanka presidential election
Commonwealth election observers will be in Ghana from 28 November to 14 December for the country’s 2024 general elections
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Elections 2024: Commonwealth Observer Group in Ghana
7 December 2024 to 7 December 2024
Event
Commonwealth election observers were in Ghana from 28 November to 14 December for the country’s 2024 general elections
Thousands of South Africans are set to benefit from stronger protections against cybercrime, following a Commonwealth symposium which equipped magistrates with practical skills to adjudicate online crimes.
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South African magistrates better equipped to combat growing cybercrime
The Commonwealth Observer Group's (COG)final report on the 2023 Zimbabwe elections praised voters for their high turnout and commitment to peace. The report also noted that the pre-election period had a number of deficiencies, each of which was enough to affect the overall credibility, transparency and inclusivity of the election.
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Report on 2023 Zimbabwe elections makes recommendations for progress
Former President of Botswana, HE Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, will lead a team of Commonwealth election observers to Ghana for the general elections, scheduled for 7 December 2024. Ghanaians will go to the polls to choose a President and Members of Parliament.
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Commonwealth observers head to Ghana for December 2024 general elections
If one person embodies the spirit of the Commonwealth’s election observation journey, it is Robert Mbirizi Phiri. Over three decades in seven Africa countries - Malawi, The Gambia, Mauritania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Egypt – he has succeeded in advancing democratic values, and electoral stability for millions of people.
The Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group in Mozambique, H.E. Dr. Kenny Anthony, has on behalf of the Group, condemned the killing of Elvino Dias, the lawyer representing Mozambican politician Venâncio Mondlane and Paulo Guambe an official from the PODEMOS party.
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Commonwealth Observer Group condemns killings in Mozambique
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, has condemned the killing of Elvino Dias, the lawyer representing Mozambican politician Venâncio Mondlane, and Paulo Guambe, a PODEMOS party official, who were tragically gunned down in Maputo.
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Commonwealth Secretary-General urges restraint and a thorough investigation into killings in Mozambique
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, KC, has deployed a team of Commonwealth experts to observe the October 30 general elections in Botswana.
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Commonwealth experts set off to observe Botswana elections
The Commonwealth Observer Group (COG), which has been in Mozambique for the 9 October polls, has today issued an interim statement calling for restraint as the country awaits election results.
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Commonwealth observers urge ‘restraint’ as Mozambique awaits final results of election
Commonwealth observers have been deployed across Mozambique, as voters elect a new president, parliamentarians, and provincial representatives.
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Polls have opened in Mozambique, with Commonwealth election observers stationed across the country
Seventy Tanzanian judges, prosecutors and investigators took part in an intensive Commonwealth symposium this week designed to sharpen their skills in handling cybercrime cases and making the internet safer for citizens.
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Commonwealth trains 70 Tanzanian judges and officials to combat cybercrime
The purpose of A Commonwealth Guide to Case Management is to provide principled and practical guidance to the judiciary and to responsible policy-makers on justice modernisation and case management.
The objective of this Guide is to inform forward-looking best practices through a comparative analysis of member countries and to soberly align efficiency with the enduring constitutional values underlying the administration of justice.
Without a doubt, nimble, well-designed case management systems, alongside transformative technology, not only facilitate and support effective court proceedings, but also allow for the modernisation of justice.
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A Commonwealth Guide to Case Management
The objective of this Guide is to inform forward-looking best practices through a comparative analysis of member countries and to soberly align efficiency with the enduring constitutional values underlying the administration of justice.
Without a doubt, nimble, well-designed case management systems, alongside transformative technology, not only facilitate and support effective court proceedings, but also allow for the modernisation of justice.
The Commonwealth has announced the appointment of Dr Kenny Anthony, Former Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, to lead its observer group for Mozambique's upcoming general elections.
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Mozambique Elections: former Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Kenny Anthony to head Commonwealth observer group
On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the 24th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM) convened today in New York, bringing together foreign ministers and senior representatives from Commonwealth member countries.
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Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers meet in New York to drive collective solutions for global challenges