Launch of the Global Network for Securing Electoral Integrity (GNSEI)
A global network that convenes election stakeholders around a shared vision: to inspire and inform action to advance electoral integrity in the face of critical threats to democracy.
During a time when democratic elections around the world face an evolving and increasingly complex set of threats and challenges, sustained cooperation among global electoral integrity stakeholders is urgently needed.
The Global Network for Securing Electoral Integrity (GNSEI or Network) convenes election stakeholders around a shared vision: to inspire and inform action to advance electoral integrity in the face of critical threats to democracy. Specifically, GNSEI brings together leading international electoral integrity actors to establish a broad-based platform to develop, advance, and promote adherence to norms, guiding principles, and codes of conduct that address emerging and long-term threats to electoral integrity. While some other platforms and forums focus on specific election integrity issues or bring together sub-communities of election integrity actors, there has not been a standing platform for these electoral integrity actors to regularly and systematically cooperate.
The mission of GNSEI is to ensure that elections – and the institutions, norms, principles, and processes underpinning them – reflect the will of all people.
The Network is publicly launching via a virtual event on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, from 8:00 – 9:30 AM EDT / 13:00 – 14:30 UTC+1
Ali Aslan, Moderator, International TV Presenter and Journalist
This launch event will be moderated by internationally-renowned journalist Ali Aslan and will be translated into Spanish, French, and Arabic.
The event will include panels on safeguarding the independence of election management bodies and genuine and inclusive public debate around electoral reforms.
How was the GNSEI formed?
President Biden announced the concept during the first Summit for Democracy in 2021. GNSEI has been formed thanks to a collective effort among more than 30 leading election-related organizations and networks across the globe, including the Kofi Annan Foundation.
What will the GNSEI do?
The mission of the GNSEI is to ensure that elections – and the institutions, norms, principles, and processes underpinning them – reflect the will of all people.
The Network has two primary objectives:
- To strengthen the electoral integrity norms framework by leveraging GNSEI’s collective expertise to identify critical threats to elections, and promote awareness of and adherence to existing norms and good practices. Additionally, where there are gaps, shape consensus around guiding principles and effective methods to address emerging concerns.
- To provide a standing platform for an expanded network of actors to defend and promote electoral integrity by sharing innovative and effective practices; encouraging conversations on how to dis-incentivize actors from undermining elections; and building relationships between a variety of actors that can enable coordination and rapid response in the face of threats, including those from other sectors whose work has a bearing on electoral integrity, such as rule-of-law actors, human rights defenders, anti-corruption bodies, and the information integrity and technology sectors.
Who is part of the GNSEI?
Please see below for a detailed list of Network Participants and Observers.
NETWORK PARTICIPANTS
- Organization of Arab Electoral Management Bodies (ArabEMBs)
- Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
- Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL)
- Democracy International (DI)
- Democracy Reporting International (DRI)
- Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA)
- European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO)
- East and Horn of Africa Elections Observation Network (EHORN)
- Global Network for Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM)
- International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)
- International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA)
- International Republican Institute (IRI)
- Kofi Annan Foundation
- National Democratic Institute (NDI)
- Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand Electoral Administrators Network (PIANZEA)
- Red de Observación e Integridad Electoral – Acuerdo de Lima (ReDOI)
- Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD)
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
- Westminster Foundation
NETWORK OBSERVERS
- The Carter Center
- Commonwealth Secretariat
- European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA)
- Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
- Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL)
The Kofi Annan Foundation is thrilled to have joined the Global Network for Securing Electoral Integrity (GNSEI). Together with our partners, we will work to bolster the trustworthiness and resilience of the institutions, norms, principles, and processes that ensure elections reflect the will of the people.
