The German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), have launched the Africa Election Fund, to strengthen democracy in Africa through innovative, agile and timely support to electoral processes.
Ahunna Eziakonwa, UN Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Africa,said the Africa Election Fund aims to support early phases of electoral cycles and prevent potential crises.
She added that the Fund will provide the means to accelerate activities when appropriate, pilot new approaches, including the use of technologies, manage associated risks, and facilitate further collaboration among African member states and at the regional level.
The German government expressed confidence that the Africa Election Fund will provide the necessary support to successfully conduct elections in Africa.
Deike Potzel, Director-General for Crisis Prevention, Stabilization, Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Assistance at the GFFO, said: “Germany is committed to strengthening open societies and democratic institutions worldwide. Together with UNDP, we aim to make democracies more resilient and to foster free and fair elections. The Africa Election Fund will support fair and free elections, and serve as a platform for learning and the exchange of best practices. Also, it can give us the chance to act early, when we see that elections might spark conflicts.”
While the African Union’s robust normative frameworks on elections, democracy and governance offer a solid foundation for the Fund, in addition to positive examples on the continent, renewed and integrated efforts are required in a context of severe constitutional crisis, increased security issues and a global crisis of trust in democratic institutions.
The Africa Election Fund will particularly foster greater participation of youth and women, who remain largely underrepresented despite their democratic weight and demonstrated ambitions and capacities. It will support them in fully contributing to policies and decision-making that carry socio-economic consequences for their lives and communities.
The Fund will also address how rapid technological evolution offers the potential for greater inclusion of citizens, but equally increases the pace of unverified or inaccurate information sharing, impacting trust in media and democratic processes.