Leaders from election management bodies, political parties, security services, civil society and media from 25 sub-Saharan countries gathered in Accra, Ghana from November 12-14, 2009 to assess recent elections across the continent and develop recommendations for raising standards of professionalism, improving electoral processes and mitigating election-related conflict.

In many African countries, successful elections have strengthened democratic institutions and practices while enhancing opportunities for economic growth. In others, credible elections have paved the way for national reconciliation and return to civilian rule after periods of armed conflict and civil war. At the same time, flawed elections in some African countries have sparked violence, further polarized divided societies and eroded public confidence in political and electoral processes.

During the Accra colloquium, participants reviewed the successes and challenges of recent elections on the continent. Deliberations on best practices and lessons learned from elections in Africa reinforced the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration, effective communication and trust among all election stakeholders as essential ingredients for successful elections. Participants engaged in comparative discussions on the design and structure of election management bodies and conflict mitigation mechanisms – such as inter-party dialogue platforms, multi-party liaison committees, and cross-sectoral codes of conduct – and their enforcement provisions. In assessing best practices, participants identified the following prerequisites for peaceful, participative and credible elections: inclusiveness, transparency, integrity, professionalism and accountability.

Participants recognized the need for a holistic approach to elections that includes coordination among election management bodies, political parties, security services, civil society, religious leaders, and the media. Participants acknowledged the growing demand across the continent for strengthening democratic institutions and practices, and noted existing political will to advocate for credible elections, even if electoral processes in many countries fall short of citizens’ expectations.

Participants considered the importance of the African Union’s Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, adopted in 2007. Article 17 of the Charter “reaffirms the commitment to holding transparent, free and fair elections in accordance with the 2002 OAU/AU Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Election in Africa,” and calls on states to take concrete actions to fulfill their responsibilities. Article 22 of the Charter commits governments to “create a conducive environment for independent and impartial election monitoring or observation mechanisms.”

Participants agreed on the need for African governments to ratify expeditiously the AU charter and other relevant instruments, and for civil society to promote and monitor compliance and issue scorecards or other reports on the implementation of their provisions.

Participants acknowledged the positive actions of regional organizations, such as the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in adopting protocols aimed at fostering democratic governance and high standards of electoral conduct. Participants noted with concern, however, that implementation of these standards varies widely among the member states.