Carter Center witnesses observing the People's Assembly elections in Egypt reported progress in several aspects of polling during the second round of voting on Dec. 14-15, but found that there are numerous areas where procedures need further improvement. Learn more »
Un informe publicado el día de hoy - La política de drogas en los Andes: buscando alternativas humanas y eficaces propone introducir cambios innovadores de política para enfrentar la amenaza del narcotráfico tanto en América Latina como en los Estados Unidos. Learn more »
Côte d'Ivoire's 2011 legislative elections represent an essential step in re-establishing the constitutional order in Cote d'Ivoire and achieving a key goal of the peace process laid out by the Political Accord of Ouagadougou. The Carter Center highlights the generally peaceful voting environment and the absence of major security incidents during the polls, which took place in the fragile political and social context of the post-electoral crisis of 2010-2011. Learn more »
The Carter Center finds the provisional presidential election results announced by the Independent National Election Commission (CENI) on Dec. 9 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to lack credibility. CENI results point to the re-election of incumbent President Joseph Kabila with 49 percent of the vote followed by Etienne Tshisekedi with 32 percent and Vital Kamerhe with 7.7 percent. Voter turnout was 58 percent. Learn more »
The Carter Center has closely observed the first round of Egypt's parliamentary elections, witnessing polling and counting Nov. 28-30 and the runoffs Dec. 5-6, and notes that conducting runoffs amid a multiphase election poses distinct challenges requiring extra efforts in key areas. Learn more »
The Carter Center deployed witnesses to observe two days of polling on Nov. 28-29 in the first of three rounds of Egypt's parliamentary elections, as well as the preceding election preparation period. Carter Center witnesses visited more than 300 polling stations in all nine active governorates, and followed the process through to the counting exercise. Learn more »
The Carter Center welcomes the conduct of presidential and legislative elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Nov. 28; voters participated in large numbers with few major incidents that disrupted the peaceful conduct of the polls. The results tabulation process is underway. Learn more »
Following an invitation from the Independent Electoral Commission, The Carter Center has launched an international election observation mission to Côte d'Ivoire to monitor preparations and the conduct of legislative elections anticipated on Dec. 11. Learn more »
The Carter Center announced today that former Zambia President Rupiah Banda and Carter Center Vice President for Peace Programs Dr. John Stremlau will co-lead the Center's 70-person delegation representing 27 nations to observe the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Nov. 28 elections. Learn more »
The Carter Center is greatly concerned about the ongoing violence at Tahrir Square and elsewhere in Egypt that has resulted in more than 30 casualties. As events continue to unfold, we urge the authorities to act with restraint and for all involved to continue to advance a meaningful democratic transition in Egypt through peaceful political participation and respect for the rule of law. Learn more »
The Carter Center reports that the tally process for the Nov. 8 presidential run-off election was conducted transparently and in general accordance with Liberia's obligations for democratic elections. Tallying was carried out smoothly throughout the country, with greater adherence to procedures and fewer irregularities than in the first round of the elections. Learn more »
The Carter Center commends the government of the Republic of South Sudan (RoSS) for the inclusive and consultative approach it has taken thus far in its drafting of the National Elections Act of 2011 and Political Parties Bill 2011. Learn more »
Following approval from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and accreditation by the Supreme Judicial Commission for Elections, The Carter Center announced today the deployment of an international delegation to 'witness' Egyptian Parliamentary Elections scheduled to start on Nov. 28, 2011. Learn more »
The Carter Center and its Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA) are pleased to congratulate three Latin American countries on their recent progress toward eliminating river blindness (onchocerciasis). Today at the sixteenth annual InterAmerican Conference on Onchocerciasis – sponsored by The Carter Center, the Pan American Health Organization, the Lions Clubs International Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – three of the six countries in the Americas that have historically suffered from river blindness announced the good news Learn more »
The Carter Center's election observation mission finds that Liberia's Nov. 8 presidential run-off election was conducted in general accordance with Liberia's legal framework and its international obligations for democratic elections. Regrettably, the election was marred by an opposition boycott, violence on the eve of the election, and low voter turnout. Learn more »
After a successful day of polling in Tunisia on Oct. 23, The Carter Center notes that several key areas related to the tabulation of results and appeals procedures did not receive sufficient attention of the High Independent Authority for the Elections (ISIE). Learn more »
We acknowledge the strong electoral support given to President Ortega in Sunday's election. Nevertheless, we are troubled by the reports of significant deficiencies in the 2011 electoral process in Nicaragua and their implications for democratic governance. Learn more »
The Carter Center notes that it is an international obligation of states to ensure that the will of the people, as expressed in periodic elections, serves as the basis for democratic government. All Liberians have a fundamental right to participate in public affairs, including the right to choose whether or not to cast a vote, in an atmosphere free from fear and intimidation. Learn more »
The Carter Center welcomes the recent agreement by Nepal's political parties to address key outstanding issues in the peace process, including the integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants, drafting of the constitution, and other important points. Learn more »
The Carter Center announced today that it will deploy a delegation of international observers to monitor Liberia's presidential run-off election scheduled for Nov. 8, 2011. The delegation again will be led by His Excellency General Dr. Yakubu Gowon, former head of state of Nigeria, and will include more than 50 observers from 20 countries across Africa and around the world. Learn more »
Mining operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) generate huge profits but impoverished local communities receive few of the benefits. A website launched today by The Carter Center (www.congomines.org) aims to close that gap by providing detailed information and maps of industrial mines in Katanga Province, increasing transparency and accountability around mining in the nation's rich Copper Belt. Learn more »
The Oct. 11, 2011, presidential and legislative elections mark an important test for Liberia's transition from civil war to democratic, constitutional government. Learn more »
In a statement released today, Carter Center observers monitoring the landmark Oct. 23 Constituent Assembly elections in Tunisia reported that the voting process was marked by peaceful and enthusiastic participation, generally transparent procedures, and popular confidence about Tunisia's democratic transition. Learn more »
We, the undersigned, regret the announcement of the Venezuelan Supreme Court that it will not be feasible to comply with the decisions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the case of Leopoldo Lopez vs. Venezuela issued on Sept. 1, 2011. Learn more »
Carter Center observers monitoring the tally and the tabulation of final results in Liberia report a largely transparent process with no evidence of systematic fraud or manipulation of results. Learn more »
In a pre-election report released today, The Carter Center called for urgent steps by the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) election commission in order to be credibly prepared for Nov. 28 elections. The report is based on findings from the Center's long-term observers, who have been deployed throughout the DRC since August. Learn more »
The Carter Center announced today that former President of Mauritius and Club of Madrid member Cassam Uteem and Carter Center President and CEO Dr. John Hardman will co-lead the Center's international election observation delegation to Tunisia's National Constituent Assembly elections on Oct. 23. Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter will also participate in the delegation. Learn more »
The Carter Center congratulates the election commission, candidates, and voters of the Cherokee Nation on a successful election day. Sept. 24 was the only day for voters to cast ballots at 38 precincts in the Nation, but there will be additional opportunities for citizens to cast a ballot at the election commission and for Freedmen** to vote by absentee ballot to determine who will be the next principal chief. Learn more »
A small delegation from The Carter Center will visit Nicaragua during the upcoming presidential and legislative elections in Nicaragua on Nov. 6. Learn more »
Thanks to the fine work of John Hardman, Phil Wise, Don Hopkins, David Carroll, Hrair Balian, Larry Frankel, Nicole Kruse, Curtis Kohlhaas, and others, I completed an interesting and successful series of visits with leaders in these four countries and in the United Nations, the European Union, and other international organizations. Learn more »
The Carter Center announced today that His Excellency General Dr. Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria's former head of state, will lead the Center's international election observation delegation to Liberia. Learn more »
Britain today announced it will provide major support to a new project that will make Guinea worm the second human disease ever to be eradicated in human history. Learn more »
Liberia's upcoming 2011 presidential and legislative elections represent a critical test for the country's transition from war to democratic and constitutional government. Carter Center observers report that campaigning has been vibrant and generally peaceful, and that political parties and independent candidates have been able to move freely and to convey their message to potential voters. Learn more »
With the launch of the electoral campaign period on Oct. 1, Tunisia has entered the final leg of the National Constituent Assembly elections, scheduled for Oct. 23, 2011. While electoral preparations are progressing, key issues such as the allocation of voters to polling stations and the system for the tabulation of results require final decisions and publication by election authorities. Learn more »
Jimmy Carter and Margaret Chan to announce major new funding campaign to wipe out Guinea worm disease. Learn more »
The Carter Center commends the Cherokee Nation Election Commission (CNEC) on the completion of the extended special election for Principal Chief. Voting took place over 10 days and counting over three (Oct. 9-11, 2011). Learn more »
An opinion poll currently circulating in Liberia by email is being falsely attributed to The Carter Center. We reject such efforts to mislead the public and call on all stakeholders to be vigilant in assessing information about the electoral process. Learn more »
The Carter Center today deployed teams of long-term observers to launch an international election observation mission for Liberia's presidential and legislative elections on Oct. 11, 2011. Learn more »
At the invitation of the Cherokee Nation Election Commission, The Carter Center will deploy a small observation mission for the Sept. 24, 2011, special election for principal chief. Carter Center observers will interview the election commission, political contestants, and others to assess the electoral process. Learn more »
In light of the Nicaraguan Supreme Electoral Council's (CSE) publication of the Electoral Accompaniment Regulations on Aug. 16, 2011, The Carter Center wishes to explain its conditions for observing the Nicaraguan elections in 2011. Learn more »
A Carter Center statement released today noted that Tunisia's voter registration process was conducted smoothly, but important operational challenges remain for the High Independent Authority for the Elections (ISIE), particularly the allocation of voters to polling stations and a campaign to disseminate voter information to the public. Learn more »
At the invitation of the Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) and the welcome of political parties, The Carter Center has launched an international election observation mission for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) elections on Nov. 28, 2011. Learn more »
Today, during a ceremony attended by Liberian government officials, community and religious leaders, and other partners, The Carter Center celebrated the graduation of Liberia's first class of locally trained mental health clinicians. Learn more »
Kathmandu… In a report released today, Carter Center observers found broad consensus that political space has opened across Nepal since the 2008 Constituent Assembly election. Improvements in the behavior of Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) cadres at the local level and a decline in armed group activity in parts of the Tarai were frequently cited as the main reasons for this change. Learn more »
In response to an invitation from the Tunisian electoral commission, The Carter Center formally launched an international observation mission to monitor preparations for the country's Constituent Assembly elections anticipated on Oct. 23. The mission is supported by an office in Tunis, which is led by Field Office Director Sabina Vigani. Learn more »
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and The Carter Center congratulate Ghana on becoming the world's newest country to stop transmission of Guinea worm, a water-borne parasitic disease poised to be the second human disease in history to be eradicated. Learn more »
The Carter Center announced the recipients of the 2011-2012 Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism today, one of the only journalism fellowship programs exclusively focused on mental health issues. Selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants, the 15th annual class of fellows includes six from the United States and two from Romania. (See below for a full list of fellows and their project topics.) Learn more »
In a report released today, The Carter Center commended the Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) for registering nearly eight million Nepali citizens to date and encouraged the ECN to undertake additional efforts to reach out to millions more who have yet to participate in the process. Learn more »
As Southern Sudan prepares for independence in the face of recent armed conflict with the North, it is critically important that the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) and the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) take steps to demonstrate a strong commitment to inclusive and participatory governance. Learn more »
The Carter Center and the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), have extended their Memorandum of Understanding to continue collaboration to promote and strengthen good governance and the rule of law. With support from USAID and Humanity United, and in partnership with IREX, The Carter Center and MIA are committed to continue support to capacity-building activities for the traditional people of Liberia and the National and County Traditional Councils, with a focus on enhancing dispute resolution skills and increasing understanding of the law. Learn more »
The Carter Center welcomes the recent agreement by Nepal's political parties as well as their decision to extend the Constituent Assembly tenure by three months. Learn more »
A new report from The Carter Center and the American College of Physicians (ACP), "Five Prescriptions for Ensuring the Future of Primary Care," argues that an overhaul of the primary care education system—including adopting more rigorous training in mental illness diagnosis and treatment—is necessary to fully implement reform of the U.S. health care system. Learn more »
Despite a climate of heightened insecurity and instances of procedural irregularities that removed an important safeguard of the process, South Kordofan's elections were generally peaceful and credible. The voting, counting, and results aggregation processes were conducted in a nonpartisan and transparent manner under intense scrutiny from leading political parties. Learn more »
In a report released today, Carter Center observers found that although the overall functioning of Local Peace Committees (LPCs) has improved since November 2009, their effectiveness remains unclear and they continue to face serious challenges. Learn more »
The Carter Center urges calm during the aggregation of results for the South Kordofan gubernatorial and legislative elections. The Carter Center calls on all contesting parties and candidates to continue to observe the results aggregation peacefully, to ask their supporters to remain calm and to seek recourse to potential electoral disputes through established legal channels. Learn more »
The Carter Center congratulates the Government of Egypt for their success in brokering the historic intra-Palestinian reconciliation agreement announced on April 27. The Carter Center further commends the representatives of Fatah and Hamas for having the vision to begin the process of reunifying the Palestinian people. Mediated by the Government of Egypt, the agreement provides a framework for resolving long-standing issues regarding reform of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Palestinian governance, elections, human rights abuses, and the security sector. Now, the challenge will be implementing the agreement on the ground. Learn more »
The Carter Center is concerned by recent deteriorations in South Kordofan's security environment and calls on all sides to promote a genuine and credible polling process for the state. Although the recently concluded candidate nomination period was largely conducted transparently, efficiently, and peacefully, there have been worrying developments during the campaign period. Learn more »
In a report released today, Carter Center observers found that overall the Election Commission of Nepal's (ECN) voter registration process is moving forward, despite delays. Learn more »
A group of human rights defenders and religious leaders representing more than 20 countries gathered at The Carter Center today called on faith leaders to reassess the role religions play in continuing discrimination against women worldwide. Learn more »
After 13 years training more than 26,000 public health workers to help fill the gap in rural health services for 75 million Ethiopians, The Carter Center- assisted Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative (EPHTI) officially has been transferred to Ethiopia's Federal Ministries of Health and Education. Established in 1997 at the invitation of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, EPHTI worked in partnership with seven Ethiopian universities and the Ethiopian government to improve the public health education system. Learn more »
In a statement released today, The Carter Center welcomed the completion of the voter registration process in South Kordofan. The process was conducted in a generally peaceful environment and the majority of registration centers operated without major problems. Learn more »
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, will arrive in Havana, Cuba, Monday, March 28, for a visit, at the invitation of the Cuban government. Learn more »
In a statement issued today, The Carter Center reports that the first phase of the popular consultation in Blue Nile produced notable accomplishments, but that state legislative assembly members, political parties, and consultation authorities should work collaboratively to ensure a more transparent and genuine dialogue on the key issues in remaining phases of the process in Blue Nile. Learn more »
Distrust between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and opposition parties is a critical challenge that undermines the unity of Southern Sudan on the eve of its independence. To ensure a successful transition, The Carter Center urges all Southern Sudanese political leaders to agree on genuinely inclusive processes for reviewing and adopting the transitional constitution and planning for the transition. Learn more »
The Andean-U.S. Dialogue Forum, a citizens' forum created to identify and contribute solutions to multilateral problems and tensions among the Andean countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela) and the United States, issued a report today outlining a common agenda to improve cooperation among the nations. Learn more »
In a report released today, Carter Center observers found that overall clashes between Nepal's political party youth wings appear to have decreased. However, many activities of the Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL) and, to a lesser extent, the CPN-UML Youth Force [1] remain targeted toward financial gain, and youth wing activity continues to have a negative impact on security in many districts. Learn more »
Former U.S. President and Carter Center Founder Jimmy Carter announced today that only three endemic countries remain in the fight against Guinea worm disease, poised to be only the second disease in history—after smallpox—to be eradicated. Learn more »
L'ancien Président américain et Fondateur du Centre Carter, M. Jimmy Carter, a annoncé aujourd'hui qu'il ne restait que trois pays d'endémicité dans la lutte contre la dracunculose, maladie sur le point d'être la deuxième – après la variole - qu'ait jamais été éradiquée. Learn more »
The Carter Center congratulates the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission, the Southern Sudan Referendum Bureau, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement partners, and the Sudanese people on the announcement of the final results of the referendum on the self-determination of Southern Sudan. Learn more »
The Carter Center congratulates the people of Egypt on their courageous steps toward a new era of democratic legitimacy and respect for human rights. Learn more »
Original artwork by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, a baseball signed by four presidents, a behind-the-scenes tour of Delta Air Lines, and historic memorabilia from the Carter presidential campaign and White House years are among more than 150 items up for public auction in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2011, during the Carter Center's annual Winter Weekend event. The auction, held for the past 18 years, is a critical source of support for the not-for-profit Center's international work advancing peace and health. Learn more »
Applications from U.S. residents are now being accepted for six one-year journalism fellowships with the Carter Center's Mental Health Program. These fellowships aim to enhance public understanding of mental health issues and reduce stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses through balanced and accurate reporting. Learn more »
The Carter Center, in partnership with the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (JPC), is expanding its Community Legal Advisor (CLA) program to provide legal support services in nine rural Liberian counties. With support from USAID and Humanity United, the services will be continued and expanded for the next two years. The program gives rural Liberians access to free community-based legal services and knowledge of their rights. Since 2007, more than 3,000 cases have been opened by community legal advisors. Learn more »
The Carter Center observation mission congratulates the people of Sudan for the successful conduct of the historic referendum on self-determination, which was marked by an overwhelming turnout of enthusiastic voters during a peaceful and orderly seven-day voting period. Learn more »
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, former Tanzania Prime Minister Joseph Warioba, and Dr. John Hardman, Carter Center president and CEO, will lead the Carter Center's international observation delegation for the January 2011 referendum on the self-determination of Southern Sudan. Learn more »
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