May 16, 2024 (Entebbe, Uganda): The Peace and Security Division’s Political Affairs Program successfully concluded a three-day Experience sharing workshop for the Regional Election Management Bodies. This gathering brought together election practitioners from across IGAD member states, fostering a collaborative environment to enhance regional election management standards.
With the Member States’ vast and rich election management experience, the workshop aimed to leverage the collective knowledge and best practices within the region. By enabling peer exchange and collaboration, the workshop aimed to mitigate governance challenges and enhance the democratic processes within its member states. The primary objective of the workshop was to facilitate peer-to-peer learning on election preparedness, management, and execution. Additionally it aimed to provide an opportunity for South Sudan’s Election Management Boddy to learn from the regional experiences of other member states.
Bringing together election practitioners from member states along with representatives from academia, government, civil society, and the private sector, the workshop featured expert presentations, dialogue sessions, and interactive discussions.
Key topics included election security, dispute resolution, and media engagement, emphasising a holistic approach to election management that extends beyond the responsibilities of election bodies alone.
At the end of the workshop, the participants devised innovative strategies to improve the preparedness of South Sudan’s election management team and established a Regional Network of Election Management Bodies to facilitate consultation, advice, and support.
