Rabat: The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has applauded Morocco’s ongoing efforts to enhance African capacities in electoral observation and democratic governance.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, in his semi-annual report on elections in Africa, Ali Youssouf emphasized the significant impact of the training program for electoral observers organized in Rabat. This initiative is a collaboration between Morocco and the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the AU Commission.
The report, presented during the 1,288th meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AU PSC), highlighted the contributions of African nations in bolstering the skills of AU electoral observers concerning elections and democracy. It also acknowledged the successful execution of the 4th annual specialized training session for short-term AU electoral observers, conducted from April 22 to 25, 2025, in Rabat.
This latest training session facilitated the education of 120 new observers from 52 African countries, increasing the total number of trained observers to over 300 since the program’s inception in June 2022, including 175 women. The program is a testament to the fruitful partnership between Morocco and the AU Commission and is part of a broader initiative to reinforce democratic governance across the continent.
The report further emphasizes the significance of the seminar-dialogue on elections and democracy in Africa, which took place alongside the training at the Policy Center for the New South, affiliated with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat.
Additionally, the report highlights the adoption of the Rabat Call to Action, formulated after the seminar-dialogue. This call to action revolves around five crucial pillars: instituting gender quotas within electoral bodies, earmarking specific budgets to ensure women’s safety during observation missions, establishing units to counter gender-based violence, enhancing the participation of young human rights defenders, and systematically breaking down electoral data by gender.