Election Management Bodies Forums constitute one of the African Union’s principal continental platforms dedicated to electoral governance, peer-learning, and institutional cooperation among African electoral authorities. Organised by the African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with the Association of African Electoral Authorities (AAEA) and ECES, these forums aim to strengthen the capacity, resilience, and professionalism of EMBs across the continent by fostering dialogue, exchanging best practices, and addressing common electoral challenges. Bringing together EMB chairpersons and senior officials from the Electoral Institutions of African Union Member States, representatives of Regional Economic Communities (RECs), international organisations, civil society organisations, academia, and democratic governance experts, the forums provide an important space for collective reflection on the evolving political, technological, legal, security, and operational dimensions of election management in Africa. 

Through its long-standing partnership with the African Union Commission, the Association of African Electoral Authorities, and Election Management Bodies across Africa, ECES has played a significant role in supporting electoral governance, institutional resilience, and democratic consolidation on the continent. Within the framework of the Pro-Electoral Integrity project, ECES has provided substantial technical, operational, financial, and strategic support to continental initiatives aimed at strengthening electoral management and promoting peer-to-peer cooperation among African EMBs. Through its collaboration with the AUC and the AAEA, ECES has contributed to reinforcing institutional capacities, supporting knowledge-sharing among electoral authorities, promoting electoral integrity, and advancing a common culture of democratic governance throughout Africa.

This continental engagement was notably reinforced through the organisation of the 7th Annual Continental Forum of Election Management Bodies, held in Maputo, Mozambique, in November 2022, followed by the General Assembly of AAEA on 16 November 2022, the forum gathered more than 100 participants from across the continent to discuss the growing political, technological, economic, legal, ecological, and security challenges affecting electoral management in Africa.

This continental dialogue continued through the 8th Annual Continental Forum, held in Cotonou, Benin, in November 2023. The forum focused particularly on strengthening communication and stakeholder relations in electoral processes, highlighting the importance of strategic communication, public trust, and the role of media and digital technologies in election management.

The continental engagement was further advanced during the 9th Annual Continental Forum, organised in March 2025 in Accra, Ghana, convened under the theme “All Votes Count: Addressing the Problem of Invalid or Rejected Ballots in Africa,” the forum focused on one of the continent’s most persistent electoral challenges: the high incidence of invalid and rejected ballots in African elections compared to global averages.

Alongside these continental forums, ECES also supported several General Assemblies of the Association of African Electoral Authorities, including those held in Maputo, Mozambique in November 2022, Cotonou, Benin in November 2023, and Accra, Ghana in March 2025. These assemblies served as important institutional platforms for strengthening cooperation among African EMBs, discussing common electoral governance priorities, and promoting continental solidarity and peer exchange.