ECES supports the creation of ROGEAC – the Network of Electoral Management Bodies in Central Africa

The European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), with the support of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), has facilitated the establishment of ROGEAC – the Network of Electoral Management Bodies in Central Africa. The Constituent Assembly of ROGEAC was held in Bujumbura, Burundi on 29 and 30 May 2025, bringing together electoral management bodies from across the region, including Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chad.

This occasion also marks the realization of one of the long-held aspirations of one of the co-founders and first president of the board of directors of ECES, late Abbot Apollinaire Malu Malu: the establishment of a regional network of Electoral Management Bodies in Central Africa. This achievement is made possible with the support of the Pro Electoral Integrity project, which we are implementing to reinforce activities and strengthen partnerships with the African Union aimed at enhancing elections, good governance, and transitional justice, funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

ROGEAC now joins the growing family of regional electoral management bodies networks across the continent, contributing to stronger cooperation and peer exchange among electoral institutions. ECES has been committed to this process since the decision to relaunch the network was taken at the 9th Continental Forum of Electoral Management Bodies in Ghana and further advanced during the first technical meeting of ROGEAC, held in Gabon.

ECES will continue to support the network through a wide range of activities, including peer-to-peer exchanges, capacity development, leadership training, conflict prevention, promotion of electoral integrity, and the enhancement of women’s and youth’s participation in electoral processes.

Workshop on the development and adoption of the ROGEAC Strategic Plan

The European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), through the Pro-Electoral Integrity Project funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, supported the Workshop on the Development and Adoption of the ROGEAC Strategic Plan, held in Yaoundé, 6-7 October 2025. This workshop marked an important step forward in consolidating the institutional framework and long-term vision of the Réseau des Organes de Gestion des Élections en Afrique Centrale (ROGEAC).

The activity took place within the broader framework of the joint missions of ROGEAC and the Association of African Electoral Authorities (AAEA) in Cameroon, as outlined in the terms of reference for the Yaoundé sessions. These missions aim to strengthen regional coordination and peer learning among electoral stakeholders, reinforcing shared approaches to credible and transparent electoral processes across Central Africa.

Over two days, participants—representing the nine founding Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) of ROGEAC—worked collaboratively to define the orientations and strategic priorities of the network. Discussions focused on consolidating institutional cooperation, promoting professionalism in election management, and addressing cross-cutting themes such as innovation, inclusion, and sustainability in electoral administration.

Beyond the development of the Strategic Plan, the Yaoundé programme also included high-level exchanges on additional themes from the mission agenda:

The implementation of ROGEAC’s action plan and governance framework;
The harmonization of training methodologies for electoral management bodies;
The reinforcement of collaboration between ROGEAC, AAEA, and other regional partners, including the African Union (AU), the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), and International IDEA.

The workshop builds on the foundations established during previous meetings in Libreville and Bujumbura, marking a new phase in the operationalization of ROGEAC. The forthcoming Strategic Plan will guide the network’s actions over the next years, ensuring a coherent, coordinated, and sustainable contribution to democratic governance in the region.

Participation to the 25th Annual General Conference of the Electoral Commission Forum of SADC Countries (ECF-SADC)

On the 28th of November 2023, ECES participated to the celebration of the 25th Annual General Conference of the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC countries (ECF-SADC) in Cape Town, South Africa. The conference titled “Collaborative Networks for Promoting Electoral Integrity & Preventing Electoral Violence” brings the 16 heads of Electoral management bodies of the SADC region.

It is with great honour, that our Founder and Executive Director, Fabio Bargiacchi, had, upon invention by the Independent Electoral Commission of SA and the ECF-SADC, the privilege to speak at the opening ceremony of the event.

Founded in 1998, the ECF-SADC is an independent organisation based in Botswana, regrouping EMBs of the SADC region, namely Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The ECF-SADC's mandate is to strengthen cooperation amongst Electoral Commissions in the SADC region and promote free, fair, credible, and transparent elections.

The collaboration between ECES and ECF-SADC dates back to the inception phase of ECES, more than a decade ago. Following the work of the first President of the ECES Management Board, Abbot Apollinaire Malu Malu, former President of the electoral commission in the DRC and former Deputy Chairperson Executive Committee of the ECF-SADC, ECES has developed an effective collaboration with ECF-SADC over the years.

During his opening remarks, although remembering ECES and the ECF-SACD long journey, our Executive Director, Fabio Bargiacchi, presented an innovative number of tools and applications that ECES can offer to support the specific need of any EMB:

Our Unified Social Media Monitoring and Early Warning System (USMEW), uses technology to efficiently monitor incidents of violence and hate speech, aiding EMBs or networks of EMBs in collecting the right information to make informed decisions that allow for the mitigation and prevention of conflict in an extremely sensitive and often very competitive and tense electoral context.
The Global Election Management System (GEMS), produced alongside partner Democracy Essentials, assists in achieving the ultimate goal of making informed decisions for electoral operations. This platform focuses on three key areas: planning, risk management, and communication with field personnel and external electoral stakeholders to build up the appropriate institutional communication with the outside world and electoral stakeholders in a country.
The capacity to support EMBs and eventually networks of EMBs in applying ISO principles to electoral Management starting with Strategic and Operational Planning. For this, we created the “Leadership and Quality Management Skills for Electoral Administrators” (LEAD-Q) methodology. Such management model training encapsulates 13 years of ECES experience and learning with EMBs, aimed at supporting them in bolstering their internal efficiency, reliability, and overall effectiveness.
Trainings and Scholarships, also provide thought distance learning. In the framework of the Innov-Elections, the ECF-SADC members attended several online trainings from ECES’ experts on different aspects of the electoral cycle and attended modules of the Sant’Anna University of Pisa.

It was with great pleasure that ECES marked its presence at the 25th Annual General Conference of the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC countries.'

After 13 years of ECES journey, this conference was both marked by impetuses of reflection on more than a decade of goals achieved through collaborative work. However, it was also embedded in an enthusiastic perspective, of the goals yet to be achieved, based on ECES constant development and innovation.

Participation to the 26th Annual General Conference of the Electoral Commission Forum of SADC Countries (ECF-SADC)

The European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) participated in the 26th Annual General Conference (AGC) of the Electoral Commissions Forum of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, held from 10 to 12 December 2024 in Seychelles and hosted by the Seychelles Electoral Commission.

As the supreme decision-making body of the Forum, the AGC brought together Chairpersons, Commissioners, and senior election officials from the 15 election management bodies of SADC countries. Established in 1998, the Forum plays a key role in strengthening electoral management and building institutional capacity across the region.

The 2024 conference was held under the theme “Digitalization and Youth Participation in Electoral Processes in the SADC Region,” providing a platform to discuss emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities related to digital technologies and youth engagement in elections. ECES contributed to these discussions by sharing its experience and engaging with regional stakeholders on innovative approaches to electoral processes and participation.

The conference was officially opened by the President of the Republic of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, and served as an important opportunity for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaboration to further strengthen electoral integrity and democratic processes in the SADC region.

Participation to the 27th Annual General Conference of the Electoral Commission Forum of SADC Countries (ECF-SADC)

ECES was honoured to take part in the 27th Annual General Conference of the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC Countries, from 1 to 5 December 2025, hosted by the Elections and Boundaries Commission of Eswatini, International IDEA and funded by the European Union, focused on “Artificial Intelligence and Elections: Threats and Opportunities.”

During his keynote address, ECES Founder & Executive Director, Fabio Bargiacchi, reflected on ECES’s 15-year journey, supporting electoral processes in more than 50 countries and strengthening cooperation with African EMBs, the African Union, International IDEA, and European partners.

He highlighted ECES’s continued work through the Pro-Electoral Integrity Programme, funded by Italy and implemented with the AU, as well as our long-standing support through MEPA scholarships for SADC EMB officials.

At the centre of the message was the introduction of LEAD-AI, the evolution of our flagship LEAD methodology, integrating leadership development, conflict prevention and AI literacy. LEAD-AI equips EMBs, civil society, youth and women groups, media, political parties and security actors to:

recognise deepfakes and synthetic media
detect bot networks
understand algorithmic amplification
counter disinformation
integrate AI tools across the electoral cycle
apply ethical and legal standards
and respond effectively to AI driven crises

ECES also reaffirmed four key areas of support to ECF-SADC:

LEAD-AI trainings across SADC
Supporting regulatory frameworks and developing guidelines on AI and elections
Enhancing the MEPA Master with AI modules
Expanding Peer-Learning Missions

As emphasised during the conference, technology will influence elections — but leaders, institutions and informed citizens will define the future of democracy. ECES remains committed to ensuring that AI becomes an opportunity for electoral integrity, not a threat.

Réseau des compétences électorales francophones (RECEF) Seminar, Paris

On the 24th of May 2023, ECES participated in the Electoral Seminar on Voting Procedures to Facilitate Voter Participation and Preserve Trust, held in Paris. The seminar was organized by the Electoral Skills Network of the Francophonie - Réseau des Compétences Électorales Francophones (RECEF) in partnership with the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and the French Ministry of Interior and Overseas (Ministere de l’Interieur et des Outre-Mer).

The program of the event was structured around 6 workshops addressing inclusive voting measures and technology, voting issues faced by francophone displaced persons, refugees, youth, and women, and voting support for individuals with disabilities.

Gorka Gamarra, the Senior Advisor for Operations & Administration in our Governance, Peace and Stability Project (initiated by Indian Ocean Community and supported by the Agence Française de Développement), represented ECES in the seminar. His presentation on “Promoting the full electoral participation of minorities”, addressed best practices and means to increase minority representation.

We were also represented by our Founder and Executive Director Fabio Bargiacchi and Filiberto Sebregondi, ECES’ Strategic and Advisory Committee Vice President to interact with the newly established Network of Electoral Management Bodies of the Indian Ocean Community, comprising Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles and Comores in the context of a project implemented by ECES and CFI, agence française de développement médias with funding from France.

ECES has been collaborating with RECEF since its inception back in 2012 in which our former President late Abbot Malu Malu, our founder Fabio Bargiacchi and our head of programme Eva Palmans have always contributed to RECEF’s bi-annual meetings.

Réseau des compétences électorales francophones (RECEF), Cotonou

The European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) is taking part in the seminar organised by The Réseau des compétences électorales francophones (RECEF) in Cotonou from 22 to 24 October, with a 4-person delegation led by its founder and Executive Director, Fabio Bargiacchi.

The seminar is being held under the theme of "Information manipulation at the heart of the electoral process in the era of digital media and social networks", with the aim of sharing experiences in the fight against disinformation and identifying strategies and actions to be taken to combat this phenomenon, which threatens the integrity of electoral processes.

ECES will be making a presentation on best practices to enable the EMB to become the benchmark institution for information on the electoral process and to combat misinformation.

On the final day, ECES experts will hold a training session on drawing up an EMB action plan to combat misinformation, with a view to equipping EMBs to deal with the context of misinformation in the electoral cycle, and to better define their role in the media ecosystem and reflect on an action plan identifying the actions to be taken to prevent and react to misinformation, in line with their responsibilities and missions.

The Réseau des compétences électorales francophones (RECEF) is an international grouping of election administrators from the French-speaking world that promotes the regular holding of free, reliable and transparent elections. Its mission is to support its members, contribute to their professionalisation and development, and assist them in setting up permanent, neutral, autonomous and independent electoral institutions; foster professionalism through the exchange of experience and good practice; and promote the full participation of citizens in elections.

Regional Network of EMBs