"The African Union Commission welcomes this joint initiative taken by the (Independent) Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to co-host the Africa Conference on Elections, Democracy and Governance for electoral management bodies to develop and adopt common norms and standards for the conduct of elections in Africa," said Essy, a former foreign minister of the Ivory Coast.
Essy was met at Johannesburg International Airport by the chairwoman of the IEC, Dr Brigalia Bam, who is co-hosting the Africa Conference.
"The objectives of the Africa Conference... are to complement the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), develop norms and standards for African electoral management bodies and reduce conflict in African elections," said Bam.
She said 485 delegates from 51 electoral management bodies would attend the conferece at the CSIR Conference Centre, Pretoria.
Key themes of the conference, to be opened by President Thabo Mbeki on Monday, are multiparty democracy and its relevance in the African context, democracy and good governance, sources of conflict and violence in Africa, the role of traditional and modern institutions, formal and substantive democracy, constitutions and electoral processes, monitoring and observer missions and resources for elections in Africa.
African experts and scholars will deliver papers and guide discussions on a draft "Declaration on Elections", which will be considered by the African Union's policy organs in preparation for the Heads of State and Government summit in Maputo, Mozambique in July.
Other outcomes of the Africa Conference include the development of principles, norms, standards and values to guide the conduct of African electoral management bodies and the operations of elections on the continent - Sapa
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