Latest content: Democracy, government and law

For more information contact our Governance and Peace Directorate.

Main page for this area of work
Democracy, government and law

Ambassador Amina Mohamed, Kenya’s former Cabinet Secretary for Education and Foreign Affairs to lead Commonwealth observers for Zimbabwean Elections

On 23 August 2023, Zimbabweans will vote to elect councillors, members of parliament, and a president. Ambassador Amina Chawahir Mohamed, former Cabinet Secretary for Education and Foreign Affairs of Kenya, will lead a team of Commonwealth election observers to Zimbabwe for the upcoming election.
Read news - Ambassador Amina Mohamed, Kenya’s former Cabinet Secretary for Education and Foreign Affairs to lead Commonwealth observers for Zimbabwean Elections

The Commonwealth Guide to Mediation: A Resource for Practitioners and Policy-makers

By examining the position of mediation in a tradition of ‘adversarial’ court-adjudicated disputes, The Commonwealth Guide to Mediation chronicles the evolution of mediation as a case management tool. Furthermore, it explores the various models that have been adopted, identifying emerging areas of innovation and highlighting exemplars of good practice.
Read publication - The Commonwealth Guide to Mediation: A Resource for Practitioners and Policy-makers

Making work more inclusive: strengthening the employability of persons with disabilities

This week, the Commonwealth Secretariat Human Rights Unit and the Whaikaha – Ministry for Disabled People (New Zealand), convened a side event on the margins of the Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in New York City on 13 June. The side event examined practical ways of strengthening the employability of persons with disabilities to ensure that they can enjoy work on an equal basis.
Read news - Making work more inclusive: strengthening the employability of persons with disabilities

Commonwealth Cyber Journal: Volume 2

This second edition of the CCJ focuses on AI: its first five articles, collected together in the special section on AI, address emerging threats and employ AI approaches to improving cybersecurity safeguards. The contributors to this issue cover topics including AI in the justice system; generative artificial intelligence-led crime as a service; violent extremism and AI; AI and the future of intellectual property rights; analysis of the Budapest Convention and draft UN anti-cybercrime framework; and the future of cyber insurance and cybercrime in the Asia-Pacific region.
Read publication - Commonwealth Cyber Journal: Volume 2

Commonwealth Cybercrime Journal: Volume 1

This first issue of the CCJ examines contemporary issues and topics such as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in judicial decision-making in criminal matters; co-dependency between cybercrime and organised crime; data privacy concerns in relation to bring-your-own-device (BYOD) working practices; a comparative review of national cybercrime laws; regional cyber-criminogenic theory; cybercrime reporting; and cyber diplomacy co-operation on cybercrime.
Read publication - Commonwealth Cybercrime Journal: Volume 1

If we value human rights and the rule of law, then we must fight for climate justice

Human life is sacred and every individual deserves an equal chance in life. We have a common desire, we all want to lead a free, fulfilling existence, with dignity, where our basic needs are met, with opportunities to advance and equal treatment under the law. These are fundamental human rights, protected by international law, which we all have a shared responsibility to protect.
Read news - If we value human rights and the rule of law, then we must fight for climate justice

“As lawyers, we can change the world if we choose,” says Commonwealth Secretary-General

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, in her keynote speech at the 23rd Commonwealth Law Conference (CLC) held in Goa, India this week, called on lawmakers and the legal community to use their skills to take on the challenge of protecting the environment, improving governance, enhancing freedoms and enabling the most vulnerable. 
Read news - “As lawyers, we can change the world if we choose,” says Commonwealth Secretary-General