Who We Are - ECF-SADC

Background

The Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC countries (ECF-SADC) is an independent organization comprising of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) in the SADC member States namely Electoral Commissions of; Angola, Botswana, DRC, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zambia, Zanzibar and Zimbabwe. The ECF-SADC has been in place since July 1998 and operates with a structure which includes the Conference, the Executive Committee and the Secretariat. The Secretariat is hosted by the Government of Botswana in Gaborone since 2005.

The Forum has played an important role in ensuring that the management of elections in the SADC countries is improved and in building the capacity of election management bodies to fulfil their roles. It is through this Forum that Election Management Bodies strengthen one another and learn from each other. The objectives of the Forum are to:

Encourage the establishment of independent and impartial Electoral Commissions in the region
Encourage the development and promotion of a democratic culture and an environment conducive to the holding of free, fair and credible elections
Encourage the development of electoral laws that adhere to regionally and internationally accepted principles of election management
Promote conducive relationships between Electoral Commissions and stakeholders through open and transparent electoral practices
Support and encourage the development of voter and civic education programmes
Facilitate access to and sharing of experiences, research and technology as well as technological information between and among Member Commissions
Support and encourage capacity building programmes of Electoral Commissions to ensure effective discharge of their mandate
Develop guidelines for alternative dispute resolution mechanisms
Establish relations with other organisations with similar objectives

STRATEGIC FOCUS AND COMMITMENT

In its efforts directed at building a dynamic culture of electoral democracy in the SADC region, which is conducive to transparent and credible elections, the ECF-SADC is committed to pursuing the following strategic priorities:

Increased commitment by sitting government to adherence to electoral laws, best practices, and promoting independence of EMBs
Building resilient Member Commissions
Providing a platform for learning and information sharing
Supporting strategies for inclusive participation in the SADC region
Strengthening engagement at SADC level and with other electoral stakeholders and,
Strengthening its organisational, management and operational capacity towards sustainability and relevance in the region.

PROGRAMMES & ACTIVITIES

Areas

VISION

A dynamic culture of electoral democracy in the SADC region.

MISSION

To be a professional non-partisan regional Forum, independent of national governments, which strengthens co-operation between and among member commissions, as well as stakeholders to promote credible and inclusive elections in the pursuit of good governance and democracy in the SADC region.