1357 Results
Quotes
Quotes based on international documents, law, and treaties- "The legal framework for elections should prohibit the presence of unauthorized persons in polling stations. This can usefully be coupled with a pro-vision for police officers only to enter polling stations either to vote or when officially requested to restore order. In the latter event, police should enter polling stations only if authorized by the person in charge of the polling station, and should be required to leave as soon as order is restored."
- "...[W]herever possible, members of the military and the police should vote in advance polls. Otherwise on polling day those not on duty should vote in ordinary civilian polling stations where they reside, without bearing arms and without wearing uniform."
- "STOs should observe the general conditions outside and around the polling station. A number of issues are relevant: Are security personnel present, and if so, are they behaving in an appropriate manner?"
- "Issues and procedures to observe include: Are there police, security forces, of government officials in polling stations?"
- "Police and security forces have a dual role in an election setting, providing security for electors while also ensuring that they do not interfere with the rights of the electorate."
- "The legal framework must provide the highest election official at the polling site (presiding officer, president or chairperson) with the authority to maintain order at the site and take steps to gain assistance concerning security or remedying any problems concerning the voting process."
- "Persons entitled to vote must be free to vote for any candidate for election and for or against any proposal submitted to referendum or plebiscite, and free to support or to oppose government, without undue influence or coercion of any kind which may distort or inhibit the free expression of the voter's will."
- "The e-voting system shall not permit any manipulative influence to be exercised over the voter during voting."
- "The right to vote and the free expression of the will of the electorate may be undermined where there is intimidation, undue influence or coercion of the voter. Voters should be free from violence or the threat of violence. Instances of bribery or other unfair inducements to vote for a certain candidate also compromise the free expression of the will of the electorate."
- "The legal framework must address a myriad of issues to ensure a genuine opportunity to exercise the right to vote on the basis of equal and universal suffrage. These issues concern conditions outside the polling sites, as well as inside it, before, during and after voting takes place. The provisions must ensure, among other things, that: Violence, intimidation, vote buying and other forms of coercion are prohibited in and around polling stations."
- "Voting can only be considered free if voters perceive that they are uninhibited from casting their vote according to their individual will. Intimidation [and] bribery…pose serious threats to a free voting environment."
- "Votes must be cast without pressure from anybody. The vote should be cast personally in full secrecy, in an atmosphere free from pressure and intimidation, without the possibility of tracing individual votes."
- "STOs should observe the general conditions outside and around the polling station. A number of issues are relevant: Are voters being offered any inducements to vote in a particular manner?"
- "Issues and procedures to observe include: is there any sign of partisan campaign materials or campaign activity in the polling station?"
- "Each step in the election process must be described in the election laws and regulations, and the provisions must be published well before the elections."
- "To be successfully conducted, free and fair elections should be guided by detailed provisions regarding the forms of ballots, the design of ballot boxes and voting compartments, and the manner of polling. These provisions should protect the process from fraudulent practices and respect the secrecy of the vote."
- "The member state's authorities shall ensure the reliability and security of the e-voting system."
- "Before any e-election or e-referendum takes place, the competent electoral authority shall satisfy itself that the e-voting system is genuine and operates correctly."
- "Before any e-voting system is introduced, and at appropriate intervals thereafter, and in particular after any changes are made to the system, an independent body, appointed by the electoral authorities, shall verify that the e-voting system is working correctly and that all the necessary security measures have been taken."
- "The electoral law should provide a mechanism for the invalidation of election results. In both parliamentary and presidential elections, the decision to partially or fully invalidate election results should be assigned to the highest electoral body. This decision should be reviewable by the highest body of the judiciary or the Constitutional Court. "
- "The state must punish any kind of electoral fraud."
- "[The Assembly] invites member states to make this environment genuinely accessible to people with disabilities and to remove any obstacles that prevent them from playing a full part in everyday life and from enjoying their fundamental rights by: 12.2 removing any obstacles in public buildings and indoor and outdoor public areas and by ensuring that no new obstacles are created. Every newly built structure must conform to universal design principles: pavements, for instance, must not be laid without dropped kerbs."
- "Those SADC countries that still use opaque wooden ballot boxes are urged to discard them in favour of transparent ballot boxes."
- "Urges States parties to ensure that their public service is aligned with the principles outlined in the Convention, including, inter alia, efficiency, transparency and objective criteria in recruitment, the promotion of integrity, honesty and responsibility and adherence to codes of conduct for public officials."
- "Calls upon States parties to put effective processes in place to promote transparency, competition and objective decision-making in public procurement systems, in line with article 9 of the Convention, and to take into consideration the anti-corruption-related recommendations contained in the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Model Law on Public Procurement."
- "Urges States parties, in accordance with articles 10 and 13 of the Convention, to continue to take measures to enhance transparency in public administration, including through the introduction of effective measures facilitating access by the public to information, and requests the Secretariat to provide technical assistance upon request to States parties seeking to introduce or enhance measures in this area, in cooperation, where appropriate, with interested donors. "
- "Urges States parties, in accordance with article 13 of the Convention, to continue promoting the participation of individuals and groups outside the public sector, such as civil society, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations, in the prevention of and the fight against corruption, and encourages States parties to enhance the capacity of such individuals and groups in this regard. "
- "Reaffirms that States parties should continue to strengthen awareness-raising measures throughout all sectors of society and that special attention should be devoted to work with young people and children as part of a strategy to prevent corruption. "
- "Calls upon States parties to promote the business community's engagement in the prevention of corruption by, inter alia, developing initiatives to promote and implement, where appropriate, anti-corruption measures within public procurement, consistent with article 9 of the Convention, and by working with the business community to address practices that generate vulnerability to corruption in the private sector."
- "Urges States parties to raise public awareness of corruption and laws and regulations against it, including the Convention itself, as well as the existing rights of and possibilities for the general public to obtain information on the organization, functioning and decision-making processes of their public administrations."
- "Also urges States parties, in accordance with article 13 of the Convention, to continue promoting the participation of individuals and groups outside the public sector, such as civil society, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations, in the prevention of and the fight against corruption, and encourages States parties to enhance their capacity in this regard."
- "Calls upon States parties to devote special attention to the creation of opportunities to involve young people as key actors to successfully prevent corruption at the domestic, subregional, regional and international levels, and requests the Secretariat to assist States parties in doing so, upon request and subject to the availability of extrabudgetary resources."
- "Calls upon States parties to promote the business community's engagement in the prevention of corruption by, inter alia, developing initiatives to promote and implement public procurement reform, working with the business community to address practices that generate vulnerability to corruption and identifying elements of optimal self-regulation in the private sector."
- "Urges States parties to raise public awareness of corruption and laws and regulations against it, as well as the existing rights of and possibilities for the general public with respect to obtaining information on the organization, functioning and decision-making processes of their public administration and raise public awareness of the responsibilities of public officials with respect to the performance of their functions, with due regard to the protection of privacy and personal data."
- "Calls upon States parties to enhance dialogue and synergies with other stakeholders outside the public sector in order to promote the involvement and engagement of those groups in the development and implementation of broader national policies and plans for promoting integrity and preventing corruption/"
- "The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to ensure the equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all economic, social and cultural rights set forth in the present Covenant. "
- "Every woman has the right to the recognition, enjoyment, exercise and protection of all human rights and freedoms embodied in regional and international human rights instruments. These rights include, among others: ...j. The right to have equal access to the public service of her country and to take part in the conduct of public affairs, including decision-making. "
- "In its general comment No. 5, the Committee defined discrimination against persons with disabilities as “any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference, or denial of reasonable accommodation based on disability which has the effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise of economic, social or cultural rights”. The denial of reasonable accommodation should be included in national legislation as a prohibited form of discrimination on the basis of disability."
- "States parties have an obligation not to cause discrimination against women through acts or omissions; they are further obliged to react actively against discrimination against women, regardless of whether such acts or omissions are perpetrated by the State or by private actors. Discrimination can occur through the failure of States to take necessary legislative measures to ensure the full realization of women’s rights, the failure to adopt national policies aimed at achieving equality between women and men and the failure to enforce relevant laws. "
- "Indigenous peoples and individuals are free and equal to all other peoples and individuals and have the right to be free from any kind of discrimination, in the exercise of their rights, in particular that based on their indigenous origin or identity. "
- "Every person has the right of recognition everywhere as a person before the law. Every person is equal before the law. Every person is entitled without discrimination to equal protection of the law. "
- " [Member states should] consider adopting legislative reforms to introduce parity thresholds for candidates in elections at local, regional, national and supra-national levels. Where proportional lists exist, consider the introduction of zipper systems. "
- "Every woman has the right to the recognition, enjoyment, exercise and protection of all human rights and freedoms embodied in regional and international human rights instruments. These rights include, among others: ...c.The right to personal liberty and security. "
- "Every citizen has the right to vote in periodic and genuine elections, which should be by universal and equal suffrage and by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors, in accordance with national law. "
- "Member states may limit the right of access to official documents. Limitations should be set down precisely in law, be necessary in a democratic society and be proportionate to the aim of protecting: i. national security, defence and international relations; ii. public safety; iii. the prevention, investigation and prosecution of criminal activities; iv. privacy and other legitimate private interests; v. commercial and other economic interests, be they private or public; vi. the equality of parties concerning court proceedings; vii. nature; viii. inspection, control and supervision by public authorities; ix. the economic, monetary and exchange rate policies of the state; x. the confidentiality of deliberations within or between public authorities during the internal preparation of a matter. 2. Access to a document may be refused if the disclosure of the information contained in the official document would or would be likely to harm any of the interests mentioned in paragraph 1, unless there is an overriding public interest in disclosure. "
- "The obligation to protect requires that States parties protect women from discrimination by private actors and take steps directly aimed at eliminating customary and all other practices that prejudice and perpetuate the notion of inferiority or superiority of either of the sexes, and of stereotyped roles for men and women. "
- "Every woman has the right to the recognition, enjoyment, exercise and protection of all human rights and freedoms embodied in regional and international human rights instruments. These rights include, among others: ...g. The right to simple and prompt recourse to a competent court for protection against acts that violate her rights. "
- "[States should foster citizen participation in the electoral process by] guaranteeing that all possible means are used to make all polling stations accessible. "
- "The States Parties undertake to ensure that the victims of discrimination and intolerance receive equitable and non-discriminatory treatment, equal access to the justice system, expeditious and effective proceedings, and fair compensation in the civil or criminal sphere, as applicable. "
- "Multiple voting should be prevented effectively without, however, violating the principle of the secrecy of the vote. "