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In Ghana, the United Nations worked with the government, the electoral commission, the media and civil society to ensure that the 2008 elections were peaceful. This success can be attributed mainly to the existence of national and local institutions capable of mediating disputes peacefully. These institutions would not have existed without UNDP’s assistance. At the request of the government, UNDP helped establish a National Peace Council in 2006 – two years prior to the 2008 elections. District peace councils were also established. The creation of dialogue fora between the peace councils and the Ghanaian society - including political parties - supported the practice of peaceful management of disputes in the country, which helped appease tensions during the 2008 elections. In addition, UNDP facilitated the collaboration between the electoral commission and the National Commission on Civic Education for voter education across the country. It helped the judicial system set up fast track courts to quickly and effectively deal with election-related disputes. It provided training to journalists to ensure responsible coverage of the elections. UNDP also worked with the police to increase awareness of human rights. These combined efforts helped strengthen public trust in the electoral process and encouraged Ghanaians to manage their grievances peacefully. Sierra Leone is another example that shows the importance of preparing early on for the next elections. The first post-conflict election in Sierra Leone was conducted by the United Nations in 2002. The August 2007 elections were run by Sierra Leoneans, with the assistance of the international community. The UN assistance for the 2007 elections started two years ahead of the elections. UNDP and the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone supported the Political Parties Registration Commission (the Commission) to anticipate and respond to conflict, to work effectively in diverse political environments and to strengthen its conflict resolution skills. UNDP helped the Commission develop a code of conduct adopted by political parties for the elections. This code of conduct was disseminated in all the districts of the country, and reached all sectors of society, including women’s groups and youth leaders. These efforts contributed to the conduct of free and peaceful elections in 2007. In Kenya, the government established a National Steering Committee on Peace Building and Conflict Prevention (the Committee), to strengthen coordination between government and civil society. In the run-up to the 2007 general elections, the Committee, which received assistance from UNDP, supported civil society organizations and other national actors to engage in civic education and public awareness campaigns across the country. The 69 percent turnout for the elections was a record in itself. While the voting and counting of votes were peaceful, violence spread to many parts of the country, following the announcement of the elections results by the Electoral Commission. The violence claimed 1,300 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands. Women and girls were targeted for rape and sexual abuse. Hospitals and health centers throughout the country reported an estimated 1,171 incidents of sexual violence. Yet, in the midst of such devastating violence, pockets of peace were preserved. In the North and North East provinces for instance, peace was maintained in the aftermath of the national elections, despite a history of violent conflict and other deep seated political rivalries. This can be attributed to the existence of local systems that, with the help of the UN, were able to manage community conflicts peacefully. In contrast, few structures for managing conflicts existed in the areas most affected by the violence, including Nyanza, the Rift Valley, the Western provinces and the Nairobi area. The prevention or reduction of violence during elections is a long term undertaking. A focus on violence prevention just prior to elections may not be effective, or only yield partial results. In the cases of successful prevention of violence, the creation of institutions and systems capable of dealing with conflicts peacefully had started years prior to the next elections. By starting to work early on, the UN is able to build trust with national and local actors on the issues of conflict prevention and peacebuilding, which can be capitalized upon once the elections are concluded. CPR Photo caption: Young woman from Ghana. Source: World Bank/Curt Carnemark
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