The Carter Center announced today it will not deploy a delegation of witnesses to observe the constitutional referendum process, scheduled to start Dec. 15, 2012. The late release of regulations for accreditation of witnesses precludes the Center from conducting a comprehensive assessment of all aspects of the referendum process, consistent with its methodology for professional observation of elections. A Carter Center technical expert team may release further statements on the process at a later date. Learn more »
Uganda has successfully interrupted the transmission of Onchocerciasis (river blindness) in three more foci in four districts: Kibaale (Mpamba-Nkusi focus), Maracha (Maracha-Terego focus) and, Mitooma and Bushenyi (Imaramagambo focus). Learn more »
On Nov. 23, Dr. Christiana Thorpe, chairperson of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), certified the final results of the presidential election, which indicated that President Ernest Bai Koroma of the All People's Congress (APC) was re-elected with 58.7 percent of the valid votes, ahead of his main challenger, Julius Maada Bio of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), who garnered 37.4 percent of valid ballots cast. Over 87 percent of registered voters turned out to vote. Learn more »
The Nov. 17, 2012, elections are the first self-administered elections to be conducted in Sierra Leone since the end of the civil war, representing an important test for the country's democratic consolidation. Carter Center observers reported that voting and counting processes were peaceful, orderly, transparent, and in general accordance with Sierra Leone's legal framework and obligations for democratic elections. Learn more »
A report on the 2012 Venezuelan presidential election issued today by The Carter Center notes increased citizen confidence in the voter system compared to past contests. Learn more »
The Carter Center condemns rocket fire from Gaza against Israeli communities, the assassination of Ahmed Jabari, head of the Hamas military wing, and other targeted attacks in Gaza. Learn more »
Sierra Leone's upcoming presidential, parliamentary, and local council elections represent a critical test for the country's emerging democratic institutions 10 years after the end of the civil war. Carter Center observers report that the campaign period has been generally peaceful, allowing political parties to assemble freely and to convey their message to potential voters. Learn more »
The Carter Center commends the General Legislation Committee (GLC) of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) for its consultative approach regarding the draft law to establish an Election Management Body (EMB). By involving external stakeholders, the GLC has taken important steps to promote public participation. Learn more »
The Carter Center commends the 15 Christian leaders who recently urged Congress to investigate human rights violations by Israelis against Palestinians that are obviously in violation of U.S. law. Learn more »
The Oct. 20, 2012, municipal polls, the first to be held in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT) since 2006, took place under significant pressures, including the conduct of elections while under Israeli occupation, the political impasse between the two leading Palestinian political movements, and the continued erosion of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms by political actors in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Learn more »
At a critical juncture in Georgia's efforts to restructure community access to quality mental health services, former U.S. First Lady Rosalynn Carter and Frank Berry, the new commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), will co-host a public town hall meeting in Mrs. Carter's home region on Oct. 24 at Georgia South Technical College in Americus from 12:30-4:00 p.m. (additional details below). Learn more »
The Carter Center deployed a study mission to the West Bank this week to assess the overall political and electoral conditions surrounding the Oct. 20, 2012, municipal elections. The Center was invited and is accredited by the Central Election Commission (CEC) as guest observers. Learn more »
We the undersigned members of the Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, committed to the promotion and defense of democratic values, have been following carefully the current electoral process in Venezuela. Learn more »
The Carter Center's independent study mission to Venezuela today released a pre-electoral report (PDF), which assesses the preparations for key elements of the process including voter registration, campaign conditions, voting conditions, integrity of the vote count, and the dispute resolution process. Learn more »
The Carter Center today deployed eight long-term observers to launch an international election observation mission for Sierra Leone's general elections on Nov. 17, 2012, at the invitation of Sierra Leone's National Elections Commission (NEC). Learn more »
In a report released today, The Carter Center commends Tunisia's National Constituent Assembly (NCA) on its progress in introducing a constitutional draft. Moving forward, the Center urges the NCA drafting commissions to ensure that the future constitution upholds Tunisia's international treaty obligations on human rights and fundamental freedoms. Learn more »
On Aug. 28, the district court in Haifa, Israel, ruled that the State of Israel was not responsible for the 2003 killing of Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old U.S. peace activist who was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer as she attempted to nonviolently prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. Israel's policy of home demolitions has been widely criticized by human rights organizations as a form of collective punishment. Learn more »
The Carter Center has declined an invitation from the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE) to accompany the Oct. 7 presidential elections. The concept of accompaniment differs from observation in that the purpose of accompaniment is to invite foreign individuals to witness the day of the election with a largely symbolic political presence, Learn more »
The Carter Center's Mental Health Liberia Program, in partnership with the Liberia Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, announces that efforts to build a sustainable mental health care system have reached an important milestone with 14 out of 15 counties in Liberia now having access to at least one locally trained and credentialed mental health clinician. Only three years prior, Liberia had one psychiatrist in the entire country. Learn more »
The Carter Center supports efforts undertaken by the Tunisian government to create a permanent election management body (EMB), and urges the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) to enhance key aspects of the draft law recently submitted for its consideration to guarantee the legitimacy, independence, and transparent functioning of the future EMB. Learn more »
In a report released today, Carter Center observers found that the Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) continues to make progress toward finalizing a new voter register but faces challenges related to registration turnout, access to eligibility documents such as citizenship certificates, and data quality. Learn more »
The Carter Center shares its profound sadness for the untimely death of Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, recognized advocate of human rights for all the citizens of his beloved Cuba, whom we met during former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's visits to the island. Learn more »
The Carter Center welcomes the announcement of preliminary election results by Libya's High National Elections Commission (HNEC) on July 17, 2012, and congratulates HNEC staff for their diligence in completing the tabulation process in a timely manner and for their efforts to ensure that all voters had an opportunity to participate in the elections. Learn more »
The Carter Center announced the recipients of the 2012-2013 Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism today. Selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants, the 16th 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 »
While acknowledging initiatives undertaken by the government and several civil society organizations, The Carter Center calls on Tunisian authorities to launch a broad and transparent consultation process, including all relevant stakeholders, to build consensus on the key features of an independent body entrusted with future elections in Tunisia. Learn more »
The July 7 elections provided Libyans an historic opportunity to vote in meaningful national polls for the first time in almost six decades. The Carter Center was honored to be invited to observe the elections, and congratulates the Libyan people, the High National Elections Commission (HNEC), and the National Transitional Council (NTC) for their dedication and efforts to support Libya's democratic transition. Learn more »
Following an invitation from the High National Elections Commission (HNEC), The Carter Center launched a limited international election observation mission to Libya on Monday, deploying several teams of observers to monitor and report on the upcoming National General Congress elections. Learn more »
Contrary to certain reports in the media, The Carter Center would like to reiterate one of its findings with respect to the second round of the Egyptian presidential election. Carter Center witnesses did not observe evidence of major or systematic flaws in the voting and counting processes (June 16-18) that unfairly advantaged either candidate. Learn more »
The Carter Center's election witnessing mission in Egypt issued preliminary findings today for the second round of Egypt's presidential elections. The Center noted that the Egyptian people again have demonstrated their deep commitment to the electoral process. However, The Carter Center expressed grave concern about the broader political and constitutional context, which calls into question the meaning and purpose of the elections. Learn more »
The Carter Center announced today that it will deploy a limited mission to witness parts of the June 16- 17, 2012, runoff election for Egypt's president. The Center will deploy 90 witnesses from 36 countries to follow polling, counting, and those parts of the tabulation processes to which the Center has access. Learn more »
The Carter Center election witnessing mission was accredited in Egypt by the Presidential Election Commission (PEC) on May 3, 2012. Accreditation badges, necessary for witnesses to observe the process, were only provided on May 16, less than seven days before the election. Learn more »
In response to false reports in the media, The Carter Center election witnessing mission confirms that it has not issued any statements relating to the presidential election results. The Carter Center's preliminary statement on the first round of the presidential election, which was formally issued by President Jimmy Carter on May 26, 2012, can be viewed here. Learn more »
Press Releases News &smp; Publications May 24, 2012 Contacts: In Atlanta, Deborah Hakes +1 404-420-5124; In Kathmandu, Sarah Levit-Shore +977-1-444-5055/1446 Statement by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Nepal (नेपालीमा पढ्नुहोस) I am concerned by the tensions, prolonged strikes, and incidents of political violence that have taken place throughout Nepal in recent weeks. Positively, it appears that these tensions have reduced in the last few days following the signing of several agreements between the Government of Nepal and protesting groups, as well as some commendable initiatives at the local level. Learn more »
The Carter Center has received accreditation as an organization from Egypt's Supreme Presidential Election Commission and will deploy 22 international election witnesses from 14 countries for the presidential election scheduled May 23-24, 2012. They will be joined by a larger delegation of 80 witnesses from over 35 nations that will travel to Egypt several days before the election, led by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Learn more »
The Carter Center office in Tunisia has found that issues of transparency and participation in the country's recently established National Constituent Assembly (NCA) are coming to the forefront and recommends the establishment of a detailed work plan and timeline to help structure NCA work and increase visibility on the process and accountability to stated objectives. Learn more »
Efforts to eliminate two mosquito-borne diseases – malaria and lymphatic filariasis – in Haiti and the Dominican Republic are ongoing, with the first of four binational meetings on the issue to take place in 2012, held in Santo Domingo on the 29th and 30th of March of this year, with participants from the technical teams of the National Center for Tropical Disease Control, the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Health and the National Malaria Control Program of the Haitian Ministry of Health. Also participating in the strategic meeting are experts from The Carter Center, The Panamerican Health Organization (OPS) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Learn more »
The Carter Center today announced its support for the Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation at the official launch of the document at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Learn more »
The Carter Center strongly condemns the seizure of power in Mali by elements of the military. The Carter Center calls for the immediate and peaceful return to constitutional order and the establishment of a short transition toward the scheduled elections. Learn more »
Following a series of public hearings, South Sudan's National Legislative Assembly (NLA) is in the final review stages of a national elections bill to establish the framework for political competition in future elections in South Sudan. Learn more »
My colleagues at The Carter Center and I commend Nepal's government and political parties for closing 13 of 28 cantonments and completing the discharge process for those Maoist combatants who have chosen voluntary retirement. These are important steps toward completing the peace process. 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 and the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism (MICAT), have extended their Memorandum of Understanding to continue ongoing collaboration to promote and strengthen awareness, implementation, and compliance with the 2010 Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. Learn more »
As Egypt's new parliament works to select a 100-member Constitutional Drafting Committee, the Carter Center's mission to witness the country's Shura elections urges Egypt's elected representatives to address the overwhelming lack of representation of women in the parliament by ensuring at least 30 percent of the committee is female. Learn more »
We, the undersigned, Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, express our deep concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression in the Republic of Ecuador. Learn more »
The Carter Center finds that as with the Nov. 28, 2011, presidential election in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the integrity of the national assembly results has been compromised. It is difficult, and given the circumstances and amount of time that has passed, perhaps impossible, for the Independent National Election Commission (CENI) or any other body to reconstruct fully the results in the hopes of producing a faithful record of the will of the people. Learn more »
The Carter Center congratulates Uganda for its historic achievement of interrupting transmission of river blindness disease (onchocerciasis) in several parts of the country, freeing hundreds of thousands from risk of this scourge. Learn more »
The Carter Center deplores the suppression of today's march by Christian groups in Kinshasa to protest discontent over the recent elections, and calls on the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) not to interfere with the rights of Congolese citizens to peaceful assembly and expression. Learn more »
The Carter Center calls on the Israeli government to immediately charge or release Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan, who was arrested on Dec. 17, 2011, based on "secret evidence" and has been held in administrative detention without charge. Learn more »
As Venezuela enters an important election year, The Carter Center will send a small study group of international experts to the country for the opposition's primary elections on Feb. 12, 2012. The candidates chosen in the primaries will represent the political opposition in the Oct. 7 presidential elections and the December 2012 governor and mayoral elections. Learn more »
The Carter Center commends South Sudan's National Legislative Assembly for its decision to convene a public hearing on the draft Political Parties Bill and solicit input from political parties, civil society, and citizens. This is an important opportunity for South Sudanese to provide input and demonstrate citizens' interest in the political process. Learn more »
Carter Center witnesses in Egypt observed low levels of interest and participation among voters, political parties, and nongovernmental organizations during the first stage of the country's Shura Council elections. Despite the brief respite between the People's Assembly and Shura Council elections, Egypt's election authority was able to introduce several technical amendments for the Shura election including the use of more secure ballot boxes and the counting of votes at polling stations. Learn more »
In a report released today, The Carter Center commended the Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) for registering more than 10 million Nepali citizens to date, and encouraged the ECN to undertake additional efforts to reach out to those who have yet to participate in the process. Learn more »
$40 million in donations announced today from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) will enable a Carter Center-led eradication campaign to end Guinea worm disease by 2015. The Center also announced today that provisional results show only 1,060 cases of Guinea worm occurred worldwide in 2011. Learn more »
The Carter Center denounces the recent detention of Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Dr. Aziz Dweik, as well as the arrests of three other legislators and one former minister, who are members of the speaker's Hamas-affiliated faction. Learn more »
The Carter Center announced today it will not deploy a delegation of witnesses to observe the constitutional referendum process, scheduled to start Dec. 15, 2012. The late release of regulations for accreditation of witnesses precludes the Center from conducting a comprehensive assessment of all aspects of the referendum process, consistent with its methodology for professional observation of elections. Learn more »
The Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, a group of former leaders and eminent persons in the Western Hemisphere, today called for "serious review and reform" of Nicaragua's electoral system. Learn more »
The Carter Center announced today that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter will visit Egypt next week as part of the Center's witnessing of Egypt's parliamentary elections. He will join a delegation of 40 witnesses representing 21 countries deployed in Egypt since mid-November to witness all three phases of voting. Learn more »
Please sign up below for important news about the work of The Carter Center and special event invitations.
