Democratic Development

BIC-RHR is dedicated to promoting human rights and fostering sustainable development across Europe and beyond.

THE CHALLENGE

Genuine and legitimate democratic elections are a key pillar of sustainable peace, security and stability. It is the free expression of sovereignty that belongs to the people of a country, and which provides the physical foundation of government legitimacy. Put differently, democratic and genuine elections are the vehicle through which the people of a country can freely express their interests, based on principles that establish who shall have the mandate and legitimacy to represent them.

OUR APPROACH

BIC’s democratic development project focuses on the supporting the promoting the pillars of democratic governance, including freedom of expression, the integrity of electoral processes, and rule of law. Our researchers actively monitor developments ahead of, during, and following key elections in the Middle East and Africa, with the objective of noting potential obstacles to further democratic development. BIC aims to support stronger compliance with key international treaties, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights. This project envisions dedicating resources and capacity to an international election observation component, which would focus on reinforcing the integrity of electoral processes, exposing possible irregularities, and providing recommendations and best practices.