The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has praised Morocco's ongoing efforts to strengthen African capacities in electoral observation and democratic governance. In his semi-annual report on elections across the continent, Youssouf highlighted the growing impact of the electoral observer training program held in Rabat, which is organized through a partnership between Morocco and the AU Commission's Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security. The report, adopted during the 1,288th meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council (AU PSC), welcomed the support provided by member states to enhance the skills of AU electoral observers in promoting credible elections and democratic practices. In particular, it recognized the 4th edition of the specialized training for short-term AU electoral observers, held from April 22 to 25, 2025, in Rabat. This session trained 120 new observers from 52 African countries, bringing the total number of participants since the program's launch in June 2022 to over 300, including 175 women. The program, an effective collaboration between Morocco and the AU Commission, is part of a broader initiative to consolidate democratic governance across the continent. The report also noted the importance of the seminar-dialogue on elections and democracy in Africa, organized alongside the training at the Policy Center for the New South, part of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat. It further emphasized the adoption of the Rabat Call to Action, issued following the seminar. The document outlines five key commitments: introducing gender quotas within electoral bodies, allocating dedicated budgets to ensure women's safety during observation missions, establishing rapid-response units to combat gender-based violence, increasing youth participation in human rights monitoring, and systematically disaggregating electoral data by gender.
