In a world spinning around many centres, more interconnected than ever, the challenges we face—be it peace, democracy, or credible elections—“cannot be resolved by individual nations alone, but demand collective responses.” – Yuval Noah Harari, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. Addressing these challenges requires not only commitment but adherence to shared international principles and frameworks that guide how democracy and electoral integrity are upheld.
One key example is the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in December 2025, an event to which EPD was invited in Geneva. One message from the meeting that particularly resonated with us, came from Josep Borrell: “Electoral observation is a duty, not a formality. Observers are not just watching—they are defending human rights and deserve the resources to do so. Recommendations must lead to real reforms, and failure to implement them should have consequences for the government.”
As a strategic and trusted partner, EPD promotes the adoption of global standards for election integrity through the AHEAD Africa project. Now in its third year, the project, led by EPD in close collaboration with a consortium of partners, has already supported 8 local partners, organised 6 election academies, deployed 7 Election Observation Missions, published 4 research publications, and convened 5 multi-stakeholder dialogues both at national and continental level..
The second Electoral Integrity Summit — which as the Electoral Support Network for Southern Africa (ESN-SA) Deputy Chair Derick Marco put it, “came at a time when African spaces are testing their confidence in democracy”— took place on 11–12 November 2025 in Lusaka, Zambia and was organised by the African Election Observers Network (AfEONET) together with the Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG). EPD representatives joined more than 150 participants from across the African continent to tackle how electoral integrity in Africa can be strengthened. They exchanged lessons learned, best experiences, and identified solutions to common challenges to election observers and election integrity.
A major challenge discussed at the Summit was the recent U.S. cuts to democracy support and electoral observation and the following decrease in donor funding, sparking debate over the “democracy paradox,” as noted by Miguel Orlando Mendes de Brito from International IDEA. This paradox — investing in election observation, yet elections still being fraudulent — highlights the difficulty of measuring democracy outcomes compared to other types of investments. While this prompted a deeper discussion on the need to build home-grown, independent funding architectures in Africa, it also presents an opportunity for the European Union. As Thomas Carothers, Rachel Kleinfeld, and Richard Youngs explain in What Future for International Democracy Support?, “It is imperative that governments committed to this domain get serious not just about boosting coordination but also about filling the yawning leadership gap.”
Afrobarometer data presented during the session Citizens’ Confidence on Electoral Integrity and Principles for Democratic Reform in Africa revealed that across 39 African countries surveyed between 2021 and 2024, 60% of citizens expressed a preference for democracy, yet only 38% believed their elections were free and fair. Closing this gap requires more than election observation missions — it demands real, timely follow-up on recommendations.
Building on the precedent set by the first Electoral Integrity Summit in Kampala, Uganda, in 2024 — which inspired the development and adoption of the Resolution on Strengthening Electoral Integrity in Africa by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in November 2025 — this second Summit also resulted in an outcome document outlining a strategic framework with actionable recommendations supported by EPD, partners, and other stakeholders to advance electoral integrity across the continent.
The Communiqué adopted in Lusaka following the second edition of the Summit, calls on African Union Member States, Regional Economic Communities, and civil society to implement 20 practical recommendations. These include bold measures such as establishing an African Democracy and Electoral Integrity Fund, strengthening legal frameworks to combat electoral corruption, and leveraging artificial intelligence to safeguard electoral processes while protecting civil liberties.
The Communiqué also highlights the indispensable role of citizen-led electoral observation as a safeguard against democratic backsliding, urging governments to protect and expand civic space, ensure the safety of human rights defenders, and actively engage with citizens in shaping electoral processes.
By translating these recommendations into action, this strategic roadmap not only aligns with global standards but also highlights Africa’s commitment to innovative, homegrown solutions for stronger, more transparent elections with citizens at the heart of the process.
