The Centre for Human Rights from 24 to 27 May co-hosted a meeting of experts, together with the Special Rapporteur of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, to contribute towards the adoption of guidelines on access to information in electoral processes in Africa.

This process was launched in August 2015, with a Resolution by the African Commission. The guidelines to be developed aim at building on the basis of existing legal texts (such as the African Charter, the AU Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance and the Model Law on Access to Information in Africa), distilling from these clear and specific guidelines to ensure greater transparency during elections. The meeting aims at coming up with a set of issues and preliminary views on these issues to be included in the guidelines.

Transparency in elections is crucial. It bolsters their integrity, thus counteracting political contestation about election results. It also builds public confidence, thus encouraging voter participation.

Around 30 experts on access to information, one the one hand, and electoral processes, on the other, attend the meeting.

This process is steered by the Special Rapporteur, Adv Pansy Tlakula, who is very well placed to do so, based on her experience on the basis of the inclusion of ‘access to information’ as part of her mandate as Special Rapporteur, and her experience as Chairperson of the South African Independent Electoral Commission.