Good Commonwealth Electoral Practice

The Commonwealth is committed to a set of fundamental values spelt out in the Harare Commonwealth Declaration (you can see the Declaration in the Documents section), at the core of which is belief in and adherence to democratic principles.

One of the key aspects of the Commonwealth's work in this context is assistance in the electoral field. As part of this, the Commonwealth Secretariat organised two Workshops for Chief Electoral Officers - in Oxford, United Kingdom (1993) and Accra, Ghana (1995). The two workshops were attended by participants from 33 Commonwealth countries.

The purpose of these meetings was to provide an opportunity for Chief Election Officers to:
- discuss current issues in the organisation and management of elections;
- exchange experiences and information on key elements in the electoral process; and
- explore the possibilities for practical co-operation between Commonwealth election management bodies.

This Working Document is the product of the discussions held in these two meetings and subsequent consultations with participants concerning good Commonwealth democratic practice.

Download the document in PDF.