A Human Rights Approach to Elections

University of Glasgow
14-15 September 2015

Academics and eminent individuals from the non-academic sector are participating in a network which would address fundamental questions relating to citizens’ right to free and fair elections from the perspective of law, the social sciences and the non-academic sector.

The objectives of the network are to scope citizens' and non-citizens' electoral rights, in both theory and practice, from the perspective of law, politics, sociology and international relations and to flesh out how Article 3 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights (the right to free and fair elections) could be developed into a more fundamental human right. The network would establish a set of human rights principles for elections that address in a practical way the experiences of various states in this context and provide recommendations, informed and underpinned by the theoretical considerations of each particular discipline's literature, on how best to provide election rights for the people of Europe. The network would pragmatically address common problems identified in each discipline relating to the 'democratic deficit' across Europe, as broadly defined in the context of elections (e.g. problems relating to participation, engagement, party membership, media coverage of campaigns).


Date:      14-15 September 2015
Venue:   University of Glasgow

First published: 10 September 2015