3619 Results
Quotes
Quotes based on international documents, law, and treaties- "In order to advance political, economic and social governance, State Parties shall commit themselves to: 2. Fostering popular participation and partnership with civil society organizations."
- "The participating States will recognize as NGOs those which declare themselves as such, according to existing national procedures, and will facilitate the ability of such organizations to conduct their national activities freely on their territories."
- "The principal documents that should be required to be filed in establishing an NGO are the governing documents of the organization, which should adequately state the nature and purpose of the organization, provide for an adequate governance structure, state the powers and limitations of the organization, identify the founders, directors, and officers, state the location of the principal headquarters, and identify a legal representative."
- "The administrative process for the registration of NGOs should be applied with a minimum margin of discretion provided. The government ministry or agency responsible for the registration of NGOs should publish rules and regulations applicable, and forms that explain the process. It should provide assistance to NGOs that are seeking formal legal status, and it should be required to provide a written statement of reasons for any refusal to register an NGO...Decisions not to register an NGO or to terminate one should be appealable, both administratively and to an independent court."
- "It goes without saying that such government-NGO consultations should take place at all stages of the drafting of legislation and administrative decrees that affect and frame NGO status, financing or spheres of influence. NGOs should acquire the expertise to make competent input to all aspects of such discussions, whether political or technical. Appropriate training in relevant fields including managerial skills should be encouraged."
- "Any act or omission by a governmental organ affecting an NGO should be subject to administrative review and be open to challenge in an independent and impartial court with full jurisdiction."
- "National law should not unjustifiably restrict the ability of any person, natural or legal, to join membership-based NGOs. The ability of someone to join a particular NGO should be determined primarily by its statutes, and should not be influenced by any unjustified discrimination."
- "States Parties undertake to implement programmes and carry out activities designed to promote democratic principles and practices as well as consolidate a culture of democracy and peace. To this end, States Parties shall: 4. integrate civic education in their educational curricular and develop appropriate programmes and activities."
- "In particular, States should: ...Initiate or facilitate national programmes of civic education, to ensure that the population are familiar with election procedures and issues."
- "The Electoral Commission should be required by law to provide for a satisfactory and adequately funded voter education programme that helps voters to be acquainted with the voting procedures and other aspects of civic awareness."
- "The public authorities have a number of positive obligations; inter alia, they must: i. submit the candidatures received to the electorate ii. enable voters to know the lists and candidates standing for election, for example through appropriate posting. iii. The above information must also be available in the languages of the national minorities. "
- "Election administrators…should work to provide to every voter the highest quality service required to enable voters to exercise their rights with the least possible inconvenience, given the circumstances and the country’s legal framework. In particular, they should: (i) Make it as convenient as possible for voters to participate in the election process; (ii) Ensure that voters adequately understand the election process; (iii) Do everything possible to provide a way to vote for people with special needs, such as blind, physically handicapped, or illiterate voters, or voters living in remote areas."
- "Principles guiding the work of electoral authorities can be summarized as…responsiveness to public needs for voter information and civic education..."
- "To ensure consistency and quality control, overall responsibility for the co-ordination of civic and voter education should rest with the EMBs."
- "Responsibility for impartial voter education often rests with the EMB, frequently in conjunction with civil society and the media."
- "While political parties, civic organizations and even international organizations may contribute to voter/civic education efforts, it is ultimately the responsibility of the government and the election authorities to ensure that voters receive objective and impartial information."
- "As with voter registration, a passive government policy, leaving education to political parties, churches and NGOs, may not be sufficient to establish the basic conditions for the conduct of a free and fair election."
- "An education programme…should be neutral and focused mainly on the voting procedure"
- "Civic and voter education should be provided in a manner that is non-partisan, independent, co-ordinated and consistent."
- "It is ultimately the responsibility of the government and the election authorities to ensure that the voters receive objective and impartial information."
- "Well organized, non-partisan voter information programmes and unhindered distribution of political propaganda are therefore critical elements of genuine elections."
- "It is therefore essential that this information is provided in a timely manner, allowing sufficient time to fully inform voters so that they can make use of the information."
- "It is therefore essential that this information is provided in a timely manner, allowing voters sufficient time to make use of the information."
- "Only transparency, impartiality and independence from political motivated manipulation will ensure proper administration of the election process, from the pre-election period to the end of the processing of results."
- "The legal framework should clearly provide for notification of the dates for commencement and closure of nominations; specify when, how and where nomination procedures must be undertaken; and set out the process of scrutiny and verification of nomination forms and declarations. Where the legal framework requires the support of a nomination by the collection of signatures, it should provide for a reasonable timeframe for this to be done and for the subsequent verification of the signatures."
- "The legal framework should clearly set forth all details on this issue for a particular election. This includes the dates for commencement and closure of registration, during what time period and how signatures are to be collected where registration is to be established by signatures, and the process of verification of registration. Where the legal framework provides for the collection of signatures, it should provide for a reasonable amount of time for collection of the signatures. The legal framework should provide for uniformity in the registration process so that the same process applies to all candidates at all levels."
- "It is unreasonable to restrict the right to vote on the ground of physical disability or to impose literacy, educational or property requirements. Party membership should not be a condition of eligibility to vote, nor a ground of disqualification."
- "Persons who are otherwise eligible to stand election should not be excluded by unreasonable or discriminatory requirements such as education, residence, or descent, or by reason of political affiliation."
- "To ensure that the will of the people serves as the basis of the authority of government, the participating States will: respect the right of citizens to seek political or public office, individually or as representatives of political parties or organizations, without discrimination."
- "Individuals should be able to stand as independent candidates as well as nominees of a political party."
- "Candidates seeking office must be permitted to run either as party candidates or individually. In countries using proportionate representation based on party list voting, parties must be allowed to include persons who are not party members on the party lists. In addition, candidates cannot be discriminated against regardless of party affiliation or lack thereof."
- "Any conditions which apply to the exercise of the rights protected by article 25 should be based on objective and reasonable criteria."
- "Any restrictions on the right to stand for election, such as minimum age, must be justifiable on objective and reasonable criteria."
- "No unreasonable limitations [should be] placed on a citizen's ability to participate in the political process, including the right to a secret vote and the right to be elected."
- "Article 25 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, for example, provides that every citizen has the right, without discrimination, to take party in the conduct of public affairs, to be elected, and to have equal access to public service in his or her country. Those rights are not absolute; however, and may be subject to a variety of reasonable limitations."
- "All such restrictions on the right to be elected must be reasonable, non-discriminatory, and must be defined clearly in law or in the constitution."
- "it is therefore recommended that technical requirements/rules should be kept to the absolute minimum."
- "It may be reasonable to require a higher age for election or appointment to particular offices than for exercising the right to vote."
- "Although some types of restrictions or qualifications on candidacies may be permissible, these should be reasonable and should not involve potentially discriminatory measures, such as a requirement to have excessive numbers of supporting signatures, or unreasonably large financial deposits."
- "The rationale for certain conditions such as age or residence is obvious: a sufficient level of maturity and connection to the community."
- "Reasonable restrictions for persons wishing to become candidates must not unjustly discriminate, and may include...having reached a higher age than the minimum voting age."
- "The same principles underlying the right to vote, applies for the right to be a candidate. Often extra restrictions are introduced for being a candidate such as having had residence in the country for some period of time before the elections, or having residence in the constituency, or having reached a higher age than the minimum voting age. Such restrictions may well be acceptable. Provisions must not be introduced for the purpose of damaging specific political forces."
- "Reasonable restrictions on persons wishing to become candidates may include a residency requirement in the country for a certain period of time, minimum support among voters, or the fact of having reached a higher age than the minimum voting age."
- "As with the right to vote, restrictions on the right to be elected must be confined to accepted criteria: age requirements, which may be somewhat higher than the legal voting age in the case of candidacies for high governmental office; citizenship requirements; reasonable residency requirements; and proportionate restrictions or disqualification in cases of findings of mental incapacity and criminal convictions."
- "The right to be elected may require an age beyond that of the age of majority."
- "Certain requirements for public office are allowed by the Covenant, but these are limited to reasonable bases, such as minimum age ... Records of discussions held during the drafting of these provisions are clear on this interpretation."
- "Reasonable restrictions for persons wishing to become candidates must not unjustly discriminate, and may include a residency requirement in the country for a certain period of time before the elections..."
- "Often extra restrictions are introduced for being a candidate such as having had residence in the country for some period of time before the elections, or having residence in the constituency…. Such restrictions may well be acceptable."
- "A residence requirement may be imposed; ii. Residence in this case means habitual residence. iii. a length of residence requirement may be imposed on nationals solely for local or regional elections; iv. the requisite period of residence should not exceed six months; a longer period may be required only to protect national minorities. "
- "Reasonable restrictions [on voter registration] include: residence, citizenship, legal detention... criminal conviction."