Latest content: Promoting Democracy

Foreign Ministers from across the Commonwealth met yesterday for the 22nd annual Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM). The meeting was held in person at the Commonwealth Secretariat headquarters, Marlborough House, in London.

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. 

Nigeria’s 2023 general elections were “largely peaceful” despite administrative and logistical hurdles at many polling units, according to an independent group of Commonwealth observers.

Commonwealth observers are today watching as the voting takes place across Nigeria and millions of people head out to elect their presidential and national assembly representatives.

In the leadup to Nigeria’s General Elections which are to take place on Saturday February 25th, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, arrived in Abuja for the signing of the National Peace Accord.

Last week the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London held a seminar at Marlborough House on the decriminalisation of Poverty and Status in the Commonwealth.

The Chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group to Nigeria, H.E. Thabo Mbeki, has urged the country’s political parties, candidates and their supporters to play their part in ensuring peaceful, transparent and credible elections on Saturday, 25 February 2023.

Former President of South Africa, H.E. Thabo Mbeki, will lead a team of Commonwealth election observers to Nigeria, which will be holding Africa’s largest democratic exercise later this month when it holds general elections on 25 February 2023.

The Commonwealth Observer Group has expressed the view that Antigua and Barbuda’s general election, held on 18 January 2023, “reflects the will of voters”.

The Chair of the Commonwealth Observer Group in Antigua and Barbuda, H.E. Danny Faure, has encouraged citizens of Antigua and Barbuda to vote in the country’s general election on 18 January 2023.

Former President of Seychelles, H.E. Danny Faure, will lead a team of Commonwealth election observers to Antigua and Barbuda for the country’s general election, scheduled for 18 January 2023.

Commonwealth law ministers have adopted a new model law to strengthen rules for protecting and handling the personal data of the 2.5 billion people living in the association’s 56 member countries.

At the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, a Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) will be deployed to observe the country’s general elections scheduled for 6 December 2022.

Today after three days of deliberations, the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting 2022 concluded with a set of proposed actions to be taken at the national and Commonwealth level to realise equal access to justice and justice transformation for all by 2030.

Today Commonwealth Law Ministers unanimously agreed to recommend the 'Commonwealth Principles on Freedom of Expression and the Role of the Media in Good Governance' to Commonwealth Leaders to consider at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). 

Law Ministers are meeting in Mauritius to set clear directions on a range of legal, rule of law and justice issues.

A blog by Dr Elizabeth Macharia, Legal Adviser, Law Development Section, Governance and Peace Directorate, Commonwealth Secretariat.

Following the Commonwealth Secretariat mission to Zimbabwe from 12 - 17 November 2022, Assistant Secretary-General, Prof Luis Franceschi, has said:

The Commonwealth Secretariat is in Mauritius this week working with the Government to train local law enforcement and help enhance their relationships with the diverse communities of the country through the teaching of applied human rights principles in policing.

The Commonwealth Secretariat is today confirming that a delegation, led by the Assistant Secretary-General, Prof. Luis Franceschi, will be visiting Harare, Zimbabwe, from Saturday 12 November until Thursday, 17 November 2022.

A training workshop on absentee voting for Commonwealth Election Professionals (CEP) based in the Pacific region opened today in Wellington, New Zealand, bringing together 23 participants from 14 Election Management Bodies (EMBs).