GNDEM
Stories
GNDEM members around the world seek to effectively observe a wide range of electoral processes in their countries, employing systematic methodologies and innovative tools to do so. GNDEM highlights members’ initiatives, events and election observation programs through “success stories” featured online.
GNDEM Special Note on Venice Commission Report on Election Observers As Human Rights Defenders
The Venice Commission released their report recognizing citizen and international election observers as human rights defenders. Through this report, the Venice Commission recognizes the work of election observers as critical to the protection of human rights, including political and civil rights, as well as assessing a state’s compliance with international human rights law. The commission states that as human rights defenders, election observers protect fundamental rights and freedoms while also being entitled to protections of their own. Continue Reading
GNDEM Expresses Its Concern over Continued Attacks on Civic Participation in Georgia
GNDEM again expresses its concern over continued efforts to restrict civic space in Georgia given the recent announcement of the full implementation of the Russian-style foreign influence law. Continue Reading
GNDEM Expresses Its Solidarity with Citizen Election Observers in Tunisia
GNDEM expresses its deep concern with the Tunisian ISIE further restrictions on nonpartisan citizen election observer groups that attempted to monitor the October 6, 2024 presidential election. Following GNDEM’s earlier statement in August addressing the denial of accreditation for I Watch, the ISIE raised allegations and expanded restrictions to include several other electoral observation groups, including GNDEM member Mourakiboun. The refusal to accredit nonpartisan citizen observers hampers the rights of the people of Tunisia to provide independent oversight over their country’s elections. Continue Reading
GNDEM Expresses Its Concern with Challenges to the Credibility of Citizen Observers in Georgia
GNDEM expresses its deep concern with recent statements made against GNDEM members ISFED and GYLA in Georgia, undermining their credibility and challenging their observation methodologies. GNDEM stands in solidarity with credible and independent Georgian citizen observers. Continue Reading
GNDEM Expresses its Solidarity with Citizen Observers in Nigeria
The Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM) stands in solidarity with the citizen election observation organization and GNDEM member Yiaga Africa in Nigeria and condemns efforts to discredit independent nonpartisan citizen election observers. Continue Reading
GNDEM Expresses its Concern Over the Integrity of Elections in Venezuela and Crackdown on Observers and Party Pollwatchers
The Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM) expresses its deep concern over the lack of transparency and the harassment of civic activists and party pollwatchers following the July 2024 presidential election in Venezuela. Continue Reading
GNDEM Board Adopts New Organizational Strategic Plan
On August 20, 2024, the newly-elected GNDEM Board held its first virtual meeting and adopted the network’s new strategic plan. The plan follows a series of virtual strategic planning sessions held with GNDEM members between March and June, and the meeting of GNDEM’s Coordinating Committee in Nairobi, Kenya from June 24 to 26, 2024. The plan reviews and affirms GNDEM’s vision, mission, core values, and guiding principles. Continue Reading
GNDEM Statement of Solidarity over the Refusal to Accredit Citizen Observers I Watch in Tunisia
GNDEM expresses its deep concern with the Tunisian Independent Higher Authority for Elections (ISIE) refusal to accredit the nonpartisan citizen election observer group I Watch. GNDEM stands in solidarity with I Watch and all nonpartisan citizen election observers who face threats against their right to observe elections and defend the right of citizens to exercise their vote. Continue Reading
GNDEM Coordinating Committee Elects New Board
From June 24 to 26, 2024, GNDEM’s Coordinating Committee, comprised of representatives from GNDEM’s nine regional networks, met in Nairobi, Kenya for the 2024 Strategic Planning and the Implementation Meeting of the Declaration of Global Principles (DoGP) for Nonpartisan Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen Organizations. At the end of the three-day meeting, the Committee elected the new GNDEM Board for the period 2024-2028. Continue Reading
GNDEM Special Note on IACHR Resolution Explicitly Recognizing Election Observers as Human Rights Defenders
On 23 May 2024, The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued a resolution recognizing international and citizen election monitors as human rights defenders due to their critical role in protecting human rights and defending democracy. Continue Reading
GNDEM Expresses its Solidarity with Citizen Observers Targeted by Russian-Style Foreign Influence Law
GNDEM expresses its deep concern with efforts to undermine the right of citizens to monitor their own election processes, both through the Georgian Parliament’s consideration of the Russian-style foreign influence law and the constant verbal attacks by government officials on citizen observers and the ongoing harassment of civic leaders more broadly. Continue Reading
GNDEM Expresses its Solidarity with Detained Observers in Azerbaijan
GNDEM expresses its deep concern with the detainment of citizen election observers from the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center (EMDS) in Azerbaijan. GNDEM stands in solidarity with EMDS and all nonpartisan civic actors who face threats to their security for safeguarding the electoral process, ensuring transparency and accountability, and defending the right of citizens to exercise their vote. GNDEM condemns all forms of threats, harassment and violence against nonpartisan citizen election observers. Continue Reading
GNDEM Expresses its Solidarity with Observers in Serbia and its Concern over Attacks on CRTA
GNDEM stands in solidarity with CRTA in Serbia and all nonpartisan citizen election observers who face threats against their right to observe elections and defend the right of citizens to exercise their vote. GNDEM condemns all forms of threats, harassment and violence against nonpartisan citizen election observers. Continue Reading
GNDEM Members Attend the 18th Annual Implementation Meeting of the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation
In November 2023, representatives from GNDEM members Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana)/West Africa Election Observers Network (WAEON), Civil Network Opora from Ukraine, and the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) attended the annual Implementation Meeting of the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation (DoP) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Continue Reading
GNDEM Statement of Solidarity with ERC and ZESN in Zimbabwe
The Global Network for Domestic Election Observers (GNDEM) strongly condemns the raid and arbitrary detention of staff and volunteers of the Electoral Resource Centre (ERC) and the Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network (ZESN). Continue Reading
ADN Joint Statement on the Legitimacy of 2023 Cambodian General Election
The undersigned organizations express our profound concern over the upcoming election for the National Assembly in Cambodia, scheduled to occur tomorrow. We firmly believe that this election is poised to lack genuineness and meaningful electoral competitiveness, raising serious doubts about its adherence to democratic principles and international election standards. Continue Reading
GNDEM/RedOIE Statement of Solidarity with Citizen Observers in Guatemala
On June 25, Guatemalans went to the polls to elect their new president, Congress and local officials. Citizen observers representing several civil society organizations, including the Misión de Observación Electoral - Guatemala (MOE-Gt), Mirador Electoral and the Plataforma de Mujeres Indígenas (PMI) monitored key aspects of the pre-election and election-day processes. Continue Reading
Comunicado de GNDEM/RedOIE en Solidaridad con Observadores Ciudadanos en Guatemala
El 25 de junio, las y los guatemaltecos asistieron a las urnas a elegir un nuevo presidente, congreso y representantes a nivel local. Observadoras y observadores ciudadanos representando a varias organizaciones de la sociedad civil, incluyendo a la Misión de Observación Electoral - Guatemala (MOE-Gt), Mirador Electoral y la Plataforma de Mujeres Indígenas, monitorearon aspectos clave del proceso pre-electoral y de la jornada electoral. Continue Reading
GNDEM Statement in Solidarity with NEW in Sierra Leone
GNDEM stands in solidarity with the citizen election observation organisation and GNDEM member National Elections Watch (NEW) in Sierra Leone and condemns any effort to interfere with their efforts to observe the 2023 general elections. Continue Reading
GNDEM Statement of Solidarity with CeMI in Montenegro
GNDEM condemns in the strongest terms the violent threats made on 24 March 2023 against the Centre for Monitoring and Research (CeMI), an independent non-partisan citizen observer organization and GNDEM member. Continue Reading
Joint Communique on Co-operation between International and Citizen Observers
A Communique on Benefits of Co-operation between International and Non-Partisan Citizen Election Observer Organizations was launched at the Declaration of Principles of International Election Observation (DoP) Implementation Meeting in Brussels, Belgium on December 8, 2022. The joint communique notes that both international and citizen observation helps protect the rights of citizens to participate in genuine elections and that these efforts are strengthened when international and citizen observers co-operate. Continue Reading
GNDEM Special Note on UN Special Rapporteurs Statement Explicitly Recognizing Election Observers as Human Rights Defenders
The United Nations Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights defenders and on the right to freedom and peaceful assembly and of associations issued a statement on 27 October 2022 explicitly recognizing citizen and international election observers as human rights defenders. This statement marks the first time election observers have been explicitly defined as human rights defenders, and comes in light of restricting space for and rights of election observers. Continue Reading
GNDEM Convenes Observers for Dialogue on Observer Rights
In an increasing number of countries, citizen election observer groups face more sophisticated attempts to restrict or prevent their efforts to promote electoral integrity. Civil society groups face challenges to gaining and maintaining legal status, accessing key electoral processes, bans on foreign funding or technical assistance, and even repression, intimidation, arrest and violence. In April 2022, GNDEM convened a group of citizen observers from four continents for a dialogue to share experiences and discuss innovations to address these threats and restrictions. Continue Reading
“Open Election Data & Disinformation Academy: From the Basics to Advocacy” Call for Participation
The Civil Network OPORA, with support from the National Democratic Institute, is pleased to announce a call for participation in a four-day training program within the ‘Open Election Data & Disinformation’ Academy! The Academy will take place in Warsaw from August 1-4. The program is tailored for citizen election observation leaders across Europe focused on open electoral data and social media monitoring and the ways they help to reveal manipulation and prevent electoral fraud. Continue Reading
Joint Statement: International Democracy Advocates Denounce Odhikar’s De-Registration In Bangladesh
We, the undersigned international democracy advocates, strongly denounce the Government of Bangladesh’s decision to deregister prominent human rights NGO Odhikar and express our unwavering solidarity with the group. Continue Reading
GNDEM Statement of Solidarity over the Arrest of Citizen Observers of the Uganda 2021 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections
GNDEM joins the call from Africa Elections Watch for the immediate release of detained individuals, noninterference in election processes by Ugandan security forces, and respect for the rights of independent and non-partisan election observers to monitor the electoral process as defined in the Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation and Monitoring by Citizen Organizations (DoGP). GNDEM reiterates that nonpartisan citizen election observation requires respect for the freedoms of association and to seek, receive, and impart impartial information in order to promote credible, peaceful elections and advance electoral integrity. GNDEM stands in solidarity with Ugandan non-partisan citizen election observers in these challenging times. Continue Reading
Regional Network's Special Report: EPDE’s Contribution to the Integrity of Elections and Election Observation
Over the past 1.5 years, the EPDE has developed an “Electoral Integrity Database." The goal of the database is to provide EPDE members with a unique and powerful tool to track democratic electoral reforms in their countries and to reveal mechanisms which endanger democratic processes in the region. This database will also promote domestic election experts’ recommendations that seek to strengthen democratic electoral reforms and improve electoral integrity, while denouncing messages of politically biased election observers who discredit findings of established election observation missions and whitewash fraudulent elections or legitimize illegitimate elections. Continue Reading
PACE Myanmar Observes the 2020 Myanmar General Elections
Myanmar’s November 8, 2020 general elections, the second conducted since the military relinquished absolute power in 2011, were a significant milestone. They followed the 2015 elections, which resulted in the National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, forming the first government in decades in which civilians have control over the majority of cabinet ministries. GNDEM member People's Alliance for Credible Elections Myanmar (PACE), the country’s largest local observer group, monitored the electoral process before, during and after election day. Continue Reading
ISFED Strives to Safeguard Information Environment on Facebook Ahead of Elections in Georgia
The manipulation of the information environment has been a powerful tool for undermining democratic principles and electoral integrity around the world. Disinformation in the electoral environment undermines key democratic principles such as a competitive process, public confidence in the electoral institutions, and informed participation. In Georgia, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) has been monitoring disinformation and coordinated inauthentic behavior on social media in the lead up to the October 2020 parliamentary elections and in between the electoral cycle. Continue Reading
Guidance on Election Monitoring During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic poses severe technical, political, and social threats to elections. In light of this situation, GNDEM has developed guidance on activities members could consider for elections that are expected to take place during the public health crisis as well as transparency and accountability efforts that could occur in the time elections are postponed. Continue Reading
EMDS Finds Azerbaijan Elections in Violation of National Legislation and International Standards
On February 9th, Azerbaijan held snap parliamentary elections following a vote to dissolve parliament in December 2019. President Ilham Aliyev’s New Azerbaijan Party won a majority of seats in a vote that GNDEM member Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center (EMDS) concluded violated Azerbaijani law as well as international standards for free and fair elections. Continue Reading
GNDEM Members Meet in Brussels for the Seventh Annual Implementation Meeting of the DoGP
Representatives from GNDEM members around the world convened in Brussels on November 5-6, 2019 for the Seventh Implementation Meeting of the Declaration of Global Principles (DoGP). Continue Reading
Statement on the Fatal Shooting of Mozambique Local Election Observation Mission Head
Statement by the African Elections Observers Network (AfEONet), compromised of citizen observer groups in E-HORN, WAEON, and ESN-SA, on the fatal shooting of local election observation mission head in Mozambique Continue Reading
GNDEM Members Convene in Belgrade to Discuss Disinformation in Elections
Representatives from several GNDEM member organizations attended an Academy on the impact of social media and elections in Belgrade, Serbia from 2-5 September 2019. This intensive academy, hosted by the National Democratic Institute (NDI), addressed the tools and strategies election observers can utilize for detecting, exposing, and countering malign disinformation in election environments. Continue Reading
GNDEM Members Participate in Open Election Data Academy
From March 31 to April 3, 2019, representatives from citizen election observer groups from around the world, including several GNDEM member organizations, gathered in Bogota, Colombia to participate in an Open Election Data Academy conducted by the National Democratic Institute (NDI). Continue Reading
GNDEM Implements New Membership Requirements
During the Sixth Implementation Meeting of the Declaration of Global Principles, the Coordinating Committee adopted the first set of GNDEM Constitutional Protocols, implementing new membership categories and criteria. Continue Reading
ISFED Monitors Social Media Around 2018 Presidential Election
Given emerging issues and concerns in Georgia, ISFED used the 2018 presidential election to pilot a new initiative - monitoring social media during the pre-election period. Continue Reading
GNDEM Participates in Two Events in Colombo, Sri Lanka
From August 25 to 26, 2018, the GNDEM Coordinating Committee, representing the nine regional networks, met in Colombo, Sri Lanka for the Sixth Implementation Meeting of the Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation. The Coordinating Committee discussed recent challenges and opportunities in citizen election observation, and further clarified and refined network priorities and standard operating procedures, including the approval of the first set of GNDEM Protocols. Continue Reading
GNDEM Members Convene for Academy on Open Data Analysis and Disinformation Monitoring
EU’s Electoral Reform Guide Highlights GNDEM Members’ Strategies
Citizen Observers Discuss Importance Of Monitoring Disinformation In Elections
The Coalition Observes Kyrgyzstan’s First Peaceful Transition of Power
ANFREL Hosts Roundtable on Transparency and Integrity in Elections
GNDEM Hosts Two Global Events in Tbilisi, Georgia
GNDEM Coordinating Committee Convenes for Fifth DoGP Implementation Meeting
GNDEM Calls on Government of Cambodia to Stop Pressuring Citizen Election Observers
GNDEM Members Shared Best Practices, Experiences in the Balkans and Eurasia
Amid Political Tensions, CRTA’s PVT Confirms Preliminary Results
