Sharm El Sheikh Hosts the 10th Annual Continental Forum of EMBs and the Official Launch of EURECS 2026
From 6–7 July 2026, the overwhelming majority of Africa’s Election Management Bodies (EMBs), together with all African regional electoral networks, including the Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA), representing 45 EMBs, and three international organisations—the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)—will gather in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for the 10th Annual Continental Forum of Election Management Bodies (EMBs). The Forum will be followed by the General Assembly of the Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA) on 8 July 2026.
The Forum is jointly organised by the African Union Commission (AUC), through its Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (DPAPS), the Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA) and the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), within the framework of the PRO-Electoral Integrity Project, funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI).
This year’s Forum will take place under the theme:
“Diaspora Voting: Progress, Gaps and Prospects.”
The Forum will provide a unique continental platform for peer learning and the exchange of experiences on extending electoral participation to citizens living abroad. Discussions will examine existing legal and policy frameworks, assess the implementation of diaspora voting across African Union Member States, and explore practical solutions to the operational, logistical, financial, technological, security and political challenges faced by Election Management Bodies.
As one of the African Union’s flagship electoral governance platforms, the Annual Continental Forum of EMBs continues to strengthen cooperation among African electoral authorities while advancing inclusive democratic governance, institutional resilience and credible electoral processes across the continent, fully aligned with the principles of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG).
On the occasion of these two landmark continental events, ECES will also officially present the new 2026 edition of its flagship strategic publication:
Far more than an updated publication, the 2026 edition of EURECS represents the culmination of sixteen years of continuous implementation, innovation and institutional learning across more than 70 countries, including over 50 African countries. It encapsulates the experience gained through the implementation of more than €155 million in programmes supporting electoral integrity, democratic governance and institutional capacity development worldwide.
The new edition demonstrates how EURECS (European Response to Electoral Cycle Support) has evolved beyond a methodology into a comprehensive strategic vision, implementation philosophy and operational architecture for electoral assistance, bringing together long-term institutional capacity development, peer learning, electoral leadership, conflict prevention, electoral integrity, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, inclusion, sustainability and nationally owned democratic processes.
It also introduces ECES’ latest methodological innovations—including td new approaches to digital governance and electoral resilience—illustrating how electoral assistance must continue evolving to respond to the opportunities and challenges of an increasingly interconnected, digital and AI-driven democratic environment.
As ECES celebrates sixteen years of partnership with African institutions, the presentation of EURECS 2026 also reaffirms our long-term commitment to supporting African-led solutions, strengthening peer-to-peer cooperation, fostering institutional leadership, and contributing to resilient, credible and inclusive democratic governance across the continent.
We look forward to welcoming colleagues and friends from across Africa and beyond to what promises to be another milestone in our shared journey towards stronger democratic institutions.