Opening Doors

August 10, 2011

15 out of every 100 persons in the world, or 978 million people, live with a disability. Since 1997, IFES has taken a leading role to ensure persons with disabilities can fully participate in civic and political life. Learn more about our work.

People with Disabilities

IFES Regional Director for the Americas on Highly Anticipated the Honduran Election

November 30, 2009

Nhelly Saleh-Ramirez, IFES regional director for the Americas, comments on the Honduran poll:

Elections, Voter Turnout, Political Parties, Governance, Election Management

Elections in Honduras Help Alleviate a Political Crisis

November 22, 2009

On November 29, Hondurans will go to the polls to elect a new president, members of the national congress and mayors. After months of political stalemate following the June 28 political coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya, these elections are seen by many as a way to move through the political impasse and towards using the democratic process to resolve disputes.

Elections, Democracy Assistance, Election Procedures, Electoral Systems

IFES Observes International Day of Democracy

September 15, 2009

In 2007 the United Nations General Assembly decided to observe September 15th as the International Day of Democracy. The preamble of the resolution affirmed that: "while democracies share common features, there is no single model of democracy and that democracy does not belong to any country or region...democracy is a universal value based on the freely-expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems, and their full participation in all aspects of life."

Gender Issues, Elections, Public Opinion, Democracy Assistance, Civil Society

IFES Supports the Signing Of an Agreement Between the TSE and Disabilities Organizations

July 28, 2009

TEGUCIGALPA – The International Foundation for Electoral Systems, Inc. (IFES) was pleased to participate in organizing the signing of an agreement between the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) and three prominent disabilities organizations on July 21, 2009

People with Disabilities, Civil Society, Elections

Honduras: Chronology of a Coup

July 20, 2009

The forcible overthrow of a government, or coup d'etat, is not an uncommon pattern in the historical tapestry of Latin America. Though less common since the end of the Cold War, coups (not all successful) have occurred in recent history in Haiti (1991, 2004), Venezuela (1992, 2002), Peru (1992), Guatemala (1993), Paraguay (1996), Ecuador (2000) and most recently in Honduras on June 29 of this year.

Constitutional Law, Elections, Governance, Election Disputes, Election Law

Former Vice President of Costa Rica, Kevin Casas-Zamora, Talks About the Difficult Political Situation in Honduras

July 17, 2009

Kevin Casas-Zamora, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former vice president of Costa Rica, visited IFES to talk about the "murky" political situation in Honduras.

Governance

Preparing for the 2009 Honduras General Elections

May 13, 2009

The Honduran people will once again assemble on November 29, 2009 to cast their vote for the nation's president, members of the legislature and mayors after participating in the highly regarded primary elections that took place in November 2008.

Electoral Systems, Democracy Assistance, Voter Registration, Election Procedures, Voter Turnout

World Economic Crisis Impacts Elections in Latin America and the Caribbean

January 21, 2009

Democracy can be bolstered by aiding nations in their democratic processes. In the mid-1980's, international assistance began to be given to countries to build or consolidate democracy. This assistance included funding,

Election Procedures, Democracy Assistance, Electoral Systems, Elections

State of the Judiciary: Honduras 2003

April 01, 2004

This State of the Judiciary Report for Honduras was written by Edmundo Orellana, J.D., an eminent Honduran lawyer specializing in judicial reform and author of numerous articles and books on this topic in his country and abroad. Dr. Orellana has drafted a number of documents that have now become laws on themes ranging from the “Status of the Career of Public Prosecutors” to the “Judicial Code of Ethics” and the “Public Prosecution Code of Ethics”. He has served in numerous public offices, including General Director for Administrative Reform of the Ministry of Planning, Coordination and Budget, Judge of the Administrative Chamber of the Court of Appeals, Attorney General, and Ambassador to the United Nations. This State of the Judiciary Report for Honduras was supervised and edited by FOPRIDEH, a Honduran nongovernmental organization dedicated to sustainable development, the formulation of sound public policies and the strengthening of democratic processes and institutions in Honduras. FOPRIDEH is a federation of non-governmental organizations that brings together over 70 affiliated organizations and various commissions and alliances with State institutions. We are especially thankful for the collaboration of coordinators Wilfredo Méndez and Ana Pineda in this project. This State of the Judiciary Report for Honduras was edited by Keith Henderson, IFES Senior Rule of Law Advisor, and Violaine Autheman and Sandra Elena, IFES Rule of Law Advisors, who are the authors of the Executive Summary and Chapter 1 of this Report. They are also responsible for the analytical conclusions in the tables that evaluate the level of compliance with the Judicial Integrity Principles which are included in the Executive Summary and in Annex 4.

Rule of Law