13th AAEA General Assembly

On 8 July 2026, following the successful conclusion of the 10th Annual Continental Forum of Election Management Bodies (EMBs), the ECES participated in the 13th General Assembly of the Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The General Assembly brought together representatives of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) from across Africa to review the Association's activities, strengthen institutional cooperation and discuss priorities for the future of electoral governance on the continent.

The General Assembly opened with remarks by Jean Mensa, President of the AAEA and Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana; Ambassador Calixte Mbari, Head of the Democracy, Elections and Constitutionalism Division at the African Union Commission's Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (DPAPS); andFabio Bargiacchi, Founder and Executive Director of ECES.

In his opening remarks, Fabio Bargiacchi reaffirmed ECES' commitment to strengthening electoral cooperation across Africa through partnership, peer learning and institutional exchange. Reflecting on the organisation's mission since its establishment in 2010, he underlined that the most valuable electoral knowledge comes directly from practitioners and highlighted the importance of Election Management Bodies learning from one another through the AAEA and the Executive Peer Learning Missions jointly implemented with the African Union Commission. He also thanked the Government of Italy for its continued support, which has enabled ECES to accompany the Continental Forum and the AAEA General Assembly for the fourth consecutive time.

Throughout the morning, members reviewed and adopted the minutes of the 12th AAEA General Assembly, received the President's report on the Association's activities over the past year, approved the AAEA Financial Statement, and heard regional reports from Central Africa (Democratic Republic of the Congo), East Africa (Kenya), West Africa (Benin), Southern Africa (Zambia) and North Africa (Tunisia).

The programme also featured a presentation by the African Union Commission on its technical assistance to Election Management Bodies.

Representing ECES, Fabio Bargiacchi and Granville Abrahams, delivered a presentation on "The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cybersecurity in Election Management." Building on the recent continental webinar organised by ECES, the presentation explored how emerging technologies are transforming electoral administration, while highlighting the importance of strengthening institutional resilience, safeguarding electoral integrity and preparing Election Management Bodies to address new digital challenges.

Participants also benefited from a presentation by Judge Paulo Tarso Tamburini, President of the Regional Electoral Tribunal of Minas Gerais and Special Adviser to Brazil's Superior Electoral Court, on "Brazil's Electronic Voting System: Three Decades of Innovation, Integrity and Public Trust," offering valuable international perspectives on technological innovation and electoral resilience.

The General Assembly concluded with closing remarks by Jean Mensa, reaffirming the AAEA's commitment to strengthening cooperation and peer learning among African Election Management Bodies.

ECES is proud to continue supporting the African Union Commission and the Association of African Election Authorities in promoting electoral integrity, innovation and institutional cooperation across Africa. We extend our sincere appreciation to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) for its continued support through the PRO-Electoral Integrity Project, which continues to strengthen collaboration and professional exchange among Election Management Bodies throughout the continent.