Peers Learning Mission to Italy 2026

Rome hosted, for the first time since the launch of the Pro-Electoral Integrity project, a high-level Executive Peer Learning Mission of the Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA), implemented by the African Union Commission and the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), with the support of Italy through the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Held from 4 to 8 May 2026, the mission brought together Chairpersons and representatives of Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) from countries participating in Italy’s Piano Mattei initiative, alongside representatives of continental and regional African electoral networks, for a week of peer exchange and comparative dialogue on contemporary electoral challenges and democratic governance.

The programme focused on key themes shaping the future of electoral integrity and democratic resilience, including electoral governance and institutional frameworks, artificial intelligence in electoral processes, media integrity and disinformation, cybersecurity, and emerging threats to public trust in democratic institutions. Particular attention was dedicated to digital transformation in elections, the governance of AI technologies, cybersecurity risks, and the protection of electoral infrastructure.

The opening session featured remarks by Stefano De Leo, Deputy Director-General for Globalisation and Global Issues and Central Director for Sub-Saharan African Countries at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Fabio Bargiacchi, Founder and Executive Director of ECES; and Jean Mensa, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana and President of the AAEA.

Throughout the week, participants engaged with Italian institutional experts, academics, cybersecurity specialists, and electoral practitioners on Italy’s electoral system, electoral management framework, and contemporary challenges linked to digital transformation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and democratic legitimacy in the digital era. Sessions were hosted in partnership with institutions including the Italian Ministry of the Interior, Fondazione Med-Or, the National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN), and LUISS University.

The exchanges covered topics including Italy’s strategic engagement in Africa within the framework of the Piano Mattei, democratic governance and institutional resilience, electoral operations and coordination, technology and innovation in elections, transparency and digital accessibility, as well as disinformation, AI-generated content, and cybersecurity threats affecting electoral integrity. Participants also explored technological tools used in electoral administration, including electronic voting systems and Italy’s Eligendo platform for the collection and dissemination of electoral results.

ECES, together with the AAEA and the African Union Commission, expressed its sincere appreciation to the Italian authorities and institutions whose expertise and contributions made the mission possible, contributing to a valuable exchange of comparative practices between Italian institutions and Electoral Management Bodies from across Africa.

The Executive Peer Learning Mission marked an important opportunity to strengthen cooperation and peer exchange between African Electoral Management Bodies, Italian institutions, and international partners on the evolving challenges and opportunities affecting electoral integrity and democratic governance in the digital era.

Peers Learning Mission to Benin 2026

The AAEA peer support and learning mission to Benin, conducted from 8 to 15 April 2026 in the context of the presidential elections, brought together representatives of African Election Management Bodies (EMBs), in collaboration with the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), the African Union, and other electoral stakeholders. The mission included EMB commissioners, senior electoral officials, and experts from a diverse group of African countries, such as Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Senegal, Angola, Somalia, and Lesotho, as well as members of the AAEA Secretariat and ECES experts.

The mission is designed as a non-partisan, peer-to-peer initiative aimed at promoting the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and best practices in election management. It strengthened cooperation among EMBs and provided a platform for technical dialogue, mutual learning, and institutional support across different electoral contexts.

Its main objective is to enhance electoral integrity, institutional capacity, and professionalism across participating EMBs by fostering collaboration, peer learning, and capacity building. Participants engaged in meetings with the Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA), electoral stakeholders, civil society organisations, and media representatives, as well as field visits, document exchanges, and peer review activities, contributing to a shared understanding of electoral challenges and solutions while supporting Benin’s electoral process.

The mission is part of the broader “Pro-Electoral Integrity” project, which aims to strengthen the resilience of electoral institutions in Africa, support credible and inclusive elections, and promote democratic governance, transparency, and conflict prevention across the continent.

Peers Learning Mission to Djibouti 2026

The AAEA peer support and learning mission to Djibouti, conducted from 6 to 13 April 2026 in the context of the presidential elections, brought together representatives of African Election Management Bodies (EMBs), in collaboration with the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) and the African Union. The mission included EMB chairpersons, commissioners, and senior electoral officials from several African countries—such as Mauritania, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Tunisia, Malawi, Namibia, Botswana and Ghana—as well as ECES experts and other electoral stakeholders.

The mission is designed as a non-partisan, peer-to-peer initiative aimed at promoting the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and best practices in election management. It also strengthened cooperation among EMBs and provided a platform for mutual learning, technical dialogue, and institutional support.

Its main objective is to enhance electoral integrity, institutional capacity, and professionalism across participating EMBs by fostering collaboration, peer learning, and capacity building. Participants engaged in meetings with the national electoral authorities, electoral stakeholders, civil society, and media, as well as field visits and peer review activities, contributing to a shared understanding of electoral challenges and solutions while supporting Djibouti’s electoral process.

Peers Learning Mission to Ivory Coast 2025

The AAEA peer support and learning mission to Ivory Coast, conducted from 21 to 28 October 2025 in the context of the presidential elections, brought together representatives of African Election Management Bodies (EMBs), in collaboration with the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), the African Union, and regional partners. The mission included EMB commissioners and senior electoral officials from a diverse group of African countries, such as Ghana, Mozambique, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Senegal, Togo, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, as well as members of the AAEA Secretariat and ECES experts.

The mission is designed as a non-partisan, peer-to-peer initiative aimed at promoting the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and best practices in election management. It also strengthened cooperation among EMBs and fostered regional and continental networks, including collaboration with the Network of Francophone Electoral Competences (RECEF), enhancing dialogue between Anglophone and Francophone electoral communities.

Peers Learning Mission to Cameroon 2025

The AAEA peer support and learning mission to Cameroon, conducted from 8 to 14 October 2025 in the context of the presidential election, brought together representatives of African Election Management Bodies (EMBs), in collaboration with the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), the African Union, and regional partners. The mission included EMB representatives and electoral stakeholders from Burundi, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, and São Tomé and Príncipe—as well as experts from ECES and other partner organisations.

The mission is designed as a non-partisan, peer-to-peer initiative aimed at promoting the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and best practices in election management. It also contributed to strengthening regional cooperation, particularly within Central Africa, including through synergies with the emerging ROGEAC network.

Its main objective is to enhance electoral integrity, institutional capacity, and professionalism across participating EMBs by fostering collaboration, mutual learning, and technical support. Participants engaged in meetings with the electoral management body, field visits to polling and counting stations, and peer review activities, contributing to a shared understanding of electoral challenges and solutions while supporting Cameroon during its electoral process. The mission is part of the broader “Pro-Electoral Integrity” project, which aims to strengthen the resilience of electoral institutions in Africa, support credible and inclusive elections, and promote democratic governance, transparency, and conflict prevention across the continent.

Peers Learning Mission to Malawi 2025

The AAEA peer learning mission to Malawi, conducted from 11 to 19 September 2025 in the context of the general elections, brought together representatives of African Election Management Bodies (EMBs), in collaboration with the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) and the African Union. The mission included EMB chairpersons, commissioners, and senior electoral officials from a wide range of African countries, such as Ghana, Liberia, Lesotho, Botswana, Zambia, Senegal, Mozambique, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Nigeria, as well as experts from ECES and other electoral stakeholders.

The mission is designed as a non-partisan, peer-to-peer initiative aimed at promoting the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and best practices in election management. It also served to strengthen cooperation among EMBs and reinforce professional standards through mutual learning and technical dialogue.

Its main objective is to enhance electoral integrity, institutional capacity, and professionalism across participating EMBs by fostering collaboration, peer support, and capacity building. Participants engaged in meetings with electoral stakeholders, field visits, document exchange, and peer review activities, contributing to a shared understanding of electoral challenges and operational solutions, while supporting Malawi’s electoral process.

Peers Learning Mission to Burundi 2025

With the support of ECES the Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA) deployed a peer learning and exchange mission to Burundi for the legislative elections. This mission brings toghether a group of Presidents, Commissioner and senior staff from the Electoral Commission of Chad, Gabon, Sao Tome & Princip, Central African Repubblic, Repubblic Congo and Democratic Repubblic of Congo, this experience allows them to share, comper and learn from eachother electoral systems.

The delegation is engaging directly with the National Independent Electoral Commission of Burundi (CENI) to learn about the electoral process and share their own experiences. This mission aims to foster learning and the sharing among members of various electoral commissions within the framework of the Pro-Electoral Integrity project. This project is funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and implemented in collaboration with the African Union Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (AUC-PAPS). The broader objective is to contribute to peace and security on the continent by strengthening the capacity of African Election Management Bodies (EMBs) to conduct credible, inclusive, and transparent elections—thereby helping prevent electoral conflicts and reinforcing public trust in democratic processes.

This initiative builds on the AAEA’s longstanding role as a forum for African EMBs to exchange expertise and uphold democratic standards. The mission not only strengthens bilateral learning between institutions but also highlights the importance of regional networks and continental cooperation.

Peers Learning Mission to Gabon 2025

The peer learning mission of the Association of African Electoral Authorities (AAEA) to Gabon, conducted from 7 to 14 April 2025 in the context of the presidential election, brings together representatives of African electoral management bodies (EMBs), in collaboration with the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) and the African Union. The mission involves presidents, commissioners, and senior electoral officials from Gabon, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Mauritania, Ghana, and Benin, as well as ECES experts, representatives of the African Union, and other stakeholders involved in the electoral process.

The mission is designed as a non-partisan initiative based on peer-to-peer exchange, aimed at promoting the sharing of knowledge, experiences, and best practices in electoral management. It also supports regional cooperation, notably through the establishment and strengthening of networks among electoral management bodies (EMBs), such as the emerging Central African EMB network.

Its main objective is to strengthen electoral integrity, institutional capacity, and the professionalism of participating electoral management bodies (EMBs) by fostering collaboration, mutual learning, and technical support. Participants take part in field visits, exchanges, document sharing, and peer review activities, thereby contributing to a shared understanding of electoral challenges and solutions, while supporting Gabon during a sensitive phase of democratic transition.

The mission forms part of the broader “Pro-Electoral Integrity” project, which aims to strengthen the resilience of electoral institutions in Africa, support credible and inclusive elections, and promote democratic governance, transparency, and conflict prevention across the continent.

Peers Learning Mission to Ghana 2024

The European Center for Electoral Support (ECES) in collaboration with the Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA) and the African Union (AU), has participated in a peer learning mission for Ghana’s General Elections on December 7, 2024. This initiative aims to reinforce election integrity, peer learning, and the professionalization of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) across Africa.

This activity is implemented through the project "Pro-Electoral Integrity: Project in Support to Electoral Integrity in Africa", which is funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFA) and via the African Union Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (AUC-PAPS) and which aims at contributing to peace and security through the development of a common culture of resilience and shared values around integrity in electoral processes, by strengthening the capacities of African EMBs in conducting their own credible and inclusive elections.

In this context Mrs Jean Mensa, in collaboration with the African Union and with the support of ECES, has invited 8 Chairwomen opening to other women senior electoral administrators in Africa to carry out a peer review-solidarity mission for the Ghana election of the 7th of December. The EMBs represented in this mission, namely Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Gabon, Malawi, Togo and Zimbabwe, worked proactively and collaboratively to share their comparative experiences at the Electoral Commission of Ghana.

The project will fund and contribute as well to the 2025 Continental Forum and other six of these solidarity-peer review mission following the one already supported in Namibia last week and this one in Ghana.

Peers Learning Mission to Namibia 2024

The Peer Learning Mission of the Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA) was organized on the occasion of the 2024 presidential and legislative elections in Namibia, held on 27 November 2024.

The AAEA mission was composed of five commissioners from Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Uganda, and Zanzibar, as well as one member of Cameroonian civil society. The mission was organized within the framework of the partnership between the AAEA and the African Union, and as part of a project implemented by the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Election Management Bodies (EMBs), as a central pillar of democracy, are mandated to organize elections in accordance with international and national legal frameworks and best practices. The mission was undertaken by representatives of EMBs from across the continent to demonstrate peer solidarity with their colleague, Dr. Elsie T. Nghikembua, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), and her fellow commissioners.

The mission mobilized the expertise of experienced electoral practitioners with a dual objective: to provide peer support and assessment to the Electoral Commission of Namibia, while also drawing lessons from Namibian electoral practices that could be considered in the implementation of electoral processes in their respective countries.

From a strategic perspective, the mission served as a valuable resource for its peers by providing constructive electoral advice and feedback. As an independent association and a credible continental body, the AAEA delegation, which arrived in Windhoek on 25 November 2024, conducted the following exchanges, meetings, and discussions with:

An information session organized by ECES on the electoral context and legal framework in Namibia;
The election observation mission of the SADC Electoral Commissions Forum;
The leadership of the Electoral Commission of Namibia;
The election observation mission of the SADC civil society network known as ESN SADC (Electoral Support Network of the SADC);
The Ambassador of the European Union.

Peers Learning Mission to the Union of the Comoros 2024

A peer learning mission was deployed to Liberia for the first round of the 2023 presidential election. The deployed mission included five chairpersons and commissioners and stayed in the country from 6 to 13 October 2023.

The delegation was composed of chairpersons and commissioners from Ghana, South Africa, Malawi, and Ethiopia. The mission was undertaken by EMB representatives to support and demonstrate solidarity with their colleague, Ms. Davidetta A.T. Brown Lansanag, Chairperson of the National Elections Commission of Liberia, and her fellow commissioners.

The mission served as a valuable resource for its peers, providing constructive advice and feedback before and after the elections. The mission also coordinated with the AU and other international and regional organizations that had deployed missions during the elections.

Specifically, and in chronological order, the delegation met with:

The Elections Coordinating Committee
The ECONEC Delegation
The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding and the National Elections Response Group
The leadership of the National Elections Commission
The AU and ECOWAS Heads of State Election Observation Mission briefing

On election day, the mission observed four (4) polling stations in different areas of Monrovia. After the close of polls, the mission observed the vote-counting process. The following day, the mission observed the tabulation of results at the National and Montserrado tally center at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex.

The chairpersons and commissioners prepared a communiqué containing a series of eight findings regarding election day and the overall process, along with suggestions drawn from the experience of each country. The communiqué was presented to the NEC Chairperson, Ms. Davidetta A.T. Brown Lansanag, during a meeting between the mission and the NEC commissioners, which provided an opportunity to discuss and analyze the mission’s findings and outcomes.

Peers Learning Mission to Kenya 2022

On 6th of August 2022, the European Centre for Electoral Support was happy to welcome a delegation from the Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA) were in Kenya for a Solidarity mission ahead of the 9th August 2022 General Elections.

On their first day, the AAEA solidarity mission delegates paid a visit to the National Cohesion and Integration Commission situation room, where they received a brief on how this Command Centre operates. The NCIC Situation room is an integration of a Media Monitoring Unit and an Early Warning, Early Response Mechanism. This ‘Situation Room' is an Integrated operational asset of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).

Through the Pro-Peace Kenya project, a partnership between the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) and NCIC, the Situation Room covers key areas related to the electoral process towards addressing hate speech. Aligning with ECES’ strategic objectives to empower as well as transfer skills and knowledge towards promoting a peaceful environment for upcoming elections and beyond, the NCIC Situation Room incorporates the media monitoring component and early warning system under one fully integrated operational unit of the Commission. Furthermore, together with other partner organisations, the Situation Room brings together a network of more than 80 Cohesion Monitors, Media Monitors, and Regional Coordinators covering the eight regions of the country.

Coordination of this mechanism is ensured through supervision by Senior Advisers from NCIC and ECES, supported by other partner organisations. A unified weekly report reflecting two key areas - early warning and early response and media monitoring, with in-depth analysis at the regional and county levels, will be regularly released regularly.

After the Situation room visit, the AAEA team had a tour of the Pro-Peace Kenya offices and interacted with the project team.

The pro-Peace Kenya project is a collaboration between the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) with funding support from the European Union.

Peers Learning Missions