In a statement released today, The Carter Center welcomed the conclusion of national voter registration in Sudan, which ended Dec. 7, and congratulated the people of Sudan for the broad and generally peaceful participation in the registration process. Learn more »
The Carter Center limited observation mission in Bolivia found election day to be generally peaceful and that the new biometric voter list served the purposes for which it has been implemented. The Center recommends that Bolivian society and the National Electoral Court (CNE) continue to strengthen their efforts to consolidate credibility in their institutions. Learn more »
The following letter was distributed today from The Carter Center and The Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter to the Permanent Representatives of the OAS prior to their planned discussion on Honduras. Learn more »
The Carter Center announced today that it will deploy a small observation delegation to Bolivia's Dec. 6 elections, led by Jennifer McCoy, director of the Center's Americas Program. Learn more »
In a report released today, The Carter Center commended the publication of the biometric voter registry by the National Electoral Court (CNE) for contributing significantly to the transparency of the Dec. 6 elections. Learn more »
In a report released today, The Carter Center in Nepal describes the current security environment around the country and notes that while the situation across parts of the Tarai remains poor, it has moderately improved since early-2009. Learn more »
In a statement released today, The Carter Center commended the largely peaceful implementation of national voter registration in Sudan, which began on Nov. 1, and welcomed the National Election Commission's (NEC) decision to extend voter registration by one week to promote greater inclusion in the process. Learn more »
The Carter Center has decided not to observe the Honduras elections scheduled for Nov. 29 because a national unity government has not been established and the vote by the Congress is not scheduled until after the elections. Learn more »
The American Civil Liberties Union today filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the Carter Center, Human Rights Watch and several other human rights and humanitarian organizations in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of a law that makes it a crime to provide "material support or resources" to any organization that the Secretary of State has designated a ''foreign terrorist organization'' (FTO). Learn more »
The MalTra campaigns are a huge joint undertaking between the Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) and Lions-Carter Center Sightfirst Initiative held twice a year to tackle two of the major scourges of humanity in Amhara region: malaria and trachoma. Learn more »
In a statement released today, The Carter Center noted continued progress in Sudan's electoral process, including voter registration, which began Nov. 1, but expressed concerns about the obstacles facing election observers, including delays in finalizing their accreditation procedures and delays in election preparations, as well as continued reports of harassment of political party and civil society activity. Learn more »
Upon completing two days of interviews with a range of political actors and representatives of Honduran society, the delegation from The Carter Center and the Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter group share their findings and initial insights in the statement below, and they reiterate their commitment to the promotion of democracy and to effective international support and vigilance. Learn more »
In 2006, the International Task Force for Disease Eradication (ITFDE) concluded that elimination of malaria and lymphatic filariasis (LF) from Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti), which is the only endemic island remaining in the Caribbean for both diseases, is "technically feasible, medically desirable, and would be economically beneficial." Former US President Jimmy Carter and staff from The Carter Center visited Dajabón, Dominican Republic and Ouanaminthe, Haiti (clinics, malaria prevention and control offices, homes of families, and mosquito breeding sites) on Oct.7, 2009 and met with the respective heads of state, ministers of health, partner organizations, and donor representatives on October 8. During the visit, the two Ministries of Health announced a bi-national plan to eliminate malaria from the entire island by 2020, at a combined cost of US$194 million (two-thirds for Haiti, one-third for the Dominican Republic) or $1 per person per year, using active epidemiological surveillance, free diagnosis and treatment, health education, and vector control, including selective indoor residual spraying and long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets. Learn more »
The Carter Center deplores the violent attacks by security forces that killed more than 150 peaceful demonstrators in Conakry, Guinea, on Sept. 28. Learn more »
The Carter Center urges all parties to heed the recommendations of the recent United Nations report on hostilities in and around Gaza from December 2008 to January 2009. Learn more »
At the invitation of the National Electoral Court, The Carter Center is continuing to observe the process of the biometric census registration in all of the departments of Bolivia, including rural districts, isolated areas, special districts, and some cities outside of the country. Learn more »
In celebration of the second annual International Day of Democracy, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and The Carter Center call upon citizens around the globe to recommit themselves to the principles of democracy. Learn more »
Ethiopia's devastating child mortality rates—which are among the highest in the world—could be significantly decreased as a result of treatment to control the nonfatal eye disease trachoma, suggests new research published in the Sept. 2, 2009, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association by the University of California at San Francisco and The Carter Center, in partnership with the Ethiopia Ministry of Health. Learn more »
The Carter Center launched a voter registration observation mission to Bolivia this week by deploying six long-term observers to cover all of the country's nine departamentos (districts). The Center's observers will monitor the biometric voter registration process, focusing on the administration of voter registration, citizen participation, voter registration complaints, and related issues. Learn more »
Nepal has made significant progress on the path to peace and inclusive democracy over the past three years but the future of the process now appears in question. Reminiscent of the 1990s, political leaders in Kathmandu appear focused on zero-sum power politics at the expense of the constitution drafting, peace process, and provision of basic government services. Learn more »
In a statement released today, The Carter Center noted recent positive steps in Sudan's electoral process, including the release of a revised electoral calendar that should allow voter registration to take place in November, avoiding the rainy season, as well as the formation of 25 state Election High Committees and the Southern Sudan Elections High Committee (SSEHC). Learn more »
The Carter Center is pleased to have finalized memoranda of understanding with the Government of National Unity (GONU) of Sudan and the National Elections Commission (NEC) and the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) on its program of election observation in Sudan. The Center welcomes the spirit of cooperation demonstrated by Sudanese authorities in these efforts. Learn more »
We are deeply concerned about a possible escalation in violence and bloodshed in Honduras. The San Jose Accords provide the best avenue to resolve the current crisis, and we urge both sides to work in good faith to achieve an agreement along these lines. International verification will be important to ensure that the agreements are fully implemented and to provide reassurance to all Hondurans. Learn more »
At a meeting of the World Health Organization's (WHO) global partnership on eye disease — the Alliance for the Global Elimination of Blinding Trachoma by the Year 2020 (GET 2020) — Ghana, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia reported that they have reached the goal for eliminating blinding trachoma. Each country has also strengthened its health care system so it can deliver eye surgery for those in need. Learn more »
Based on the Carter Center's long concern for the peace and well-being of the Liberian people and its current collaboration with the government of Liberia to conduct civic education on the rule of law, this statement aims to help explain in simple terms what will happen now that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has issued its final report. Learn more »
After receiving a record number of applicants, the Carter Center's Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism—the only journalism fellowships exclusively for mental health—announced today the winners of its 2009-2010 awards (see below for full list of fellows and their project topics). Learn more »
The Carter Center commends the significant progress that Nepal has made on the path to peace and stability during the last three years, but notes with concern that the breakdown in consensus politics following the 2008 Constituent Assembly elections, as well as the delay in implementing previous commitments, threatens to derail the progress made thus far. Learn more »
Faced with the occurrence of the coup d'état in the Republic of Honduras, Sunday, June 28, We, the Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, express our great concern for the rupture of the constitutional order in the Republic of Honduras that took place on June 28, 2009. Learn more »
The Carter Center commends Indonesia's Constitutional Court for their timely handling disputes relating to election results for the April 9, 2009 legislative elections. Learn more »
The Carter Center commends the Lebanese people and the electoral authorities for the successful conduct of the 2009 parliamentary elections, the results of which have been accepted by both sides. While the process fell short of several of Lebanon's international commitments, most notably secrecy of the ballot, it was conducted with enhanced transparency and in accordance with Lebanon's new consensual electoral law and regulations. Learn more »
The Carter Center announced today that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former Yemeni Prime Minister Abdul Karim al-Eryani will lead the Center's international election observation delegation to observe Lebanon's June 7 parliamentary elections. The Carter Center mission will also include more than 50 observers representing more than 20 different nations deployed throughout the country to observe balloting, counting, and tabulation processes. Learn more »
In a report released today, The Carter Center welcomed the May 26 decision by Lebanon's Council of Ministers to appoint the final five members of the Constitutional Council, the body mandated to adjudicate candidates' challenges to electoral results. At the same time, the Center urged Lebanese electoral authorities to provide further clarification of procedures for the filing and resolution of election day complaints by voters and party agents and for the district-level tabulation of official election results. Learn more »
Atlanta . . . Participants in a conference on the right of access to information released today their findings and plan of action to advance the right in the Americas.The Americas Regional Plan of Actionprovides a blueprint for the regional and international community, states, and non-state actors to establish, develop, and nurture the right of access to information in the Americas and calls on them to commit to the plan in furtherance of our common objective. The regional document serves as an annex to last year's global Atlanta Declaration and Plan of Action. Learn more »
The Carter Center congratulates the government of Indonesia, the National Election Commission (KPU), the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu), and civil society groups for the ongoing commitment they have shown to establishing electoral complaints and dispute resolution mechanisms within the electoral system of Indonesia. Learn more »
Dear Secretary General Insulza, Knowing the special importance that the relations with Cuba hold on the hemispheric agenda, we address you in our capacity as Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter. Our purpose is to share some reflections that we believe are fundamental to the analysis and development of an institutional strategy underpinning a gradual rapprochement between the Organization of American States (OAS) and Cuba. Learn more »
National Christian leaders meeting at The Carter Center on May 14-15 sent the following letter to President Barack Obama following two days of discussions on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Citing a growing sense of despair in the Holy Land, the letter conveys to the President support for his efforts to push for a two-state solution and calls for an immediate opening of the Gaza borders. Learn more »
The Carter Center calls on Ivorian political leaders to sustain the hard-earned momentum of the ongoing identification and voter registration process and bring about the credible democratic elections envisioned by the Ouagadougou Political Accord (OPA). Learn more »
In a report issued today, The Carter Center welcomes the important steps taken in Sudan toward holding national elections but identifies additional key steps that the Government of National Unity (GONU) and the National Elections Commission (NEC) should take to ensure a genuine and viable electoral process. Learn more »
The Carter Center commends the parties, candidates, and National Elections Commission of Indonesia for the important progress made in campaign finance laws and practices since the 2004 elections. Learn more »
Health officials from 11 African countries have honored former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and The Carter Center for their "pioneering contributions to eradicating neglected tropical diseases in Africa." The leadership award was presented to Carter Center CEO Dr. John Hardman and Dr. Donald Hopkins, vice president of health programs, on April 22 in a Washington, D.C., event sponsored by Global Health Progress and ONE. Learn more »
The Carter Center condemns the killing and maiming of suspected collaborators, political opponents, and common criminals committed by Hamas-affiliated security forces in the Gaza Strip. According to a recent Human Rights Watch report, during the course of Operation Cast Lead from Dec. 27, 2008, through Jan. 17, 2009, Hamas-affiliated security forces executed extra-judicially 18 people while maiming dozens of others, often by shooting them in the knees and feet. Learn more »
More than 100 high-ranking officials, civil society leaders, and journalists from 20 countries will participate in a Carter Center-hosted Americas Regional Conference on the Right of Access to Information from April 28-20 in Lima, Peru. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter will attend as part of his four-country trip to visit Carter Center projects in Ecuador, Bolivia, and Brazil, in addition to the Lima conference, from April 27-May 4. Learn more »
The Carter Center launched an international election observation mission to Lebanon last week by deploying six long-term observers to cover all of the country's qadas (districts). The observers represent a diverse team from six countries: Portugal, Belgium, Iraq, the United Kingdom, Albania, and the United States. Learn more »
Atlanta...Former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter will visit Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil from April 27-May 4 to assess Carter Center projects, participate in a regional conference on the right of access to information, and meet with officials to discuss regional themes of importance following the Summit of the Americas. President Carter will meet with each country's president - Rafael Correa in Ecuador, Alan García in Perú, Evo Morales in Bolivia, and Lula Da Silva in Brazil – as well as with each foreign minister and representatives of other sectors. Accompanying him will be former First Lady Rosalynn Carter; Dr. John Hardman, president and CEO of The Carter Center; Dr. Jennifer McCoy, director of the Center's Americas Program; and Francisco Diez, representative of the Center in Latin America. Learn more »
The Carter Center congratulates the people of Nepal, the election commission, and the political parties for a generally peaceful and orderly by-election process. Following an invitation from the Election Commission of Nepal, The Carter Center deployed four teams of short-term observers to Morang, Dhanusha, Kaski, and Kanchanpur from April 9-11 to conduct a small scale assessment of Nepal's April 10, 2009, Constituent Assembly by-elections. Learn more »
The Carter Center congratulates the people, political parties, and National Election Commission (KPU) of Indonesia on the generally peaceful April 9, 2009, legislative elections, the third since the country's democratic transition from the New Order of former President Soeharto. Learn more »
The Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter have followed the recent Presidential elections in El Salvador with particular interest. We congratulate president-elect Mauricio Funes and his FMLN party, as well as Rodrigo Avila for his rapid and unhesitating acceptance of the verdict of the Salvadoran people as announced by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. With a difference of 69,412 votes out of over four million cast, the difference was narrow. We extend warm congratulations to the entire country on the degree of political maturity shown by the electorate in this peaceful, orderly, and well organized election. Learn more »
Few benefits resulted for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from the government's two-year review of contracts with companies mining billions of dollars of gold, copper, cobalt, diamonds, and other minerals. Learn more »
An international team of researchers led by Rodrigo Gonzalez of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala reports that the transmission of onchocerciasis or river blindness has been broken in Escuintla, Guatemala, one of the largest endemic areas in the Western Hemisphere to date to stop the transmission of the parasitic disease. Learn more »
The Carter Center deployed three teams of long-term observers to locations in Indonesia this week to formally launch its limited election observation mission of the country's April 9 legislative elections. These will be the third elections in Indonesia that the Center has observed. Learn more »
The Carter Center expresses strong concern about recent home demolition orders issued by the Jerusalem Municipality. If implemented, a total of 95 structures, including 87 homes in the historic Al-Bustan neighborhood south of the Old City, would be demolished and some 1,840 Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem would be displaced. Learn more »
Applications are now being accepted for six one-year journalism fellowships with the Carter Center's Mental Health Program. The 2009-2010 fellowships begin in September 2009, and aim to enhance public understanding of mental health issues and combat stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses. Applicants must be U.S. residents. Learn more »
There are a lot of images that convey the spirit of the Carter Center's work around the world, but few are as unusual and exuberant as a painting of bright red tulips by local Atlanta artist Jerome Lawrence. The vibrant, cheerful painting titled "Tulips are People II," was featured on the Carter Center's 2008 holiday card. Lawrence was selected not only for his artistic skill, but also because his life of recovery with schizophrenia is a message of hope for others struggling with mental illness. Learn more »
The Carter Center congratulates the Bolivian people for the peaceful exercise of its civic obligations during the constitutional referendum held on Jan. 25. The Center's political mission visited more than 100 polling stations and did not witness any act of violence or intimidation that would affect the voting of the citizens. Learn more »
The Carter Center welcomes the temporary cessation of the war in and around the Gaza Strip, but notes that the situation remains extremely precarious. Learn more »
The Carter Center, in partnership with Liberia's Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Traditional Council, and the Ministry of Gender, will conduct workshops for Liberia's local leaders on how to strengthen the rule of law and expand the role of women in local governance in each of the country's fifteen counties between Jan. 27 and the end of April 2009. Learn more »
The Carter Center will deploy a small political mission to observe Bolivia's constitutional referendum on Jan. 25. The group includes former Foreign Minister of Ecuador Maria Isabel Salvador, former Judge of the Electoral Tribunal of Brazil Torquato Jardim, Vice President of Carter Center Peace Programs John Stremlau, and other expert observers. Learn more »
The Carter Center expresses deep concern for the resurgence in politically driven violence in Nicaragua, which began after contentious Nov. 9 elections and recently regained intensity. Events leading up to the elections, their conduct, and subsequent controversies have harmed the credibility of the electoral authorities, the democratic nature of the process, and the legitimacy of results. Learn more »
The Carter Center congratulates Ghana President-elect John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress following the Electoral Commission of Ghana's Jan. 3 announcement of final election results. The Center also commends New Patriotic Party candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his acceptance of the results in an extremely competitive race. Learn more »
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