In September, Afghanistan and the Taliban began conducting peace negotiations to plan a road map for the country’s future after the withdrawal of United States forces. A key challenge for this process is the status of Afghanistan’s current constitution. This report, published by the United States Institute of Peace in partnership with CIC, explores some of the constitutional questions that are likely to arise in the course of the negotiations and provides suggestions for how the peace process might resolve them.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a global impact on the conduct of elections. Governments and electoral authorities have responded with innovative practices—but the challenges have also revealed gaps and weaknesses. Lessons from COVID-19 can help with preparedness for future challenges, such as holding elections in the wake of natural disasters or in highly polarized contexts. This joint analysis from CIC and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance examines how countries are handling elections during the pandemic, and explores options for ensuring good election governance and preventing electoral violence.