The Carter Centre Peace Program

Peace with justice requires resolving conflict according to rules agreed to by all, beginning with the shared commitment to human rights and democratic values. Today, virtually all governments claim to share this belief. The Carter Center, in partnership with others, seeks practical ways to narrow the gap between the rhetoric and realities of government policies in countries striving to overcome legacies of oppression and deadly conflict by building more just societies of their own.

At the invitation of governments and in cooperation with civil society, The Carter Center continues to play a leading role in election observation across the developing world, broadening its participation to help countries better prepare for elections and build upon the results to deepen democracy and ensure peace becomes permanent.

Whether helping to standardize election procedures in China's villages, giving voice to human rights defenders in Africa, or increasing transparency of campaign finance and governance in the Americas, the Center's programs work to attain peace with justice in those areas of the world most in need and who request our help.

The Carter Center's principled impartiality and record of achievement give its peace making programs the credibility needed to work nationally, regionally, and globally.

These programs include:
1)The Democracy Program: working for the development of inclusive democratic societies and the empowerment of citizens through election observation, consensus-building for international standards for democratic elections, and democracy-strengthening activities in emerging democracies and regional organizations.
2)Human Rights Program: intervening on behalf of victims of human rights abuses; strengthening the voices of human rights defenders internationally; and building capacity for rule of law in partnerships with civil society, governments, and international organizations.
3)The Conflict Resolution Program: helping prevent deadly conflict, mediating differences, and ensuring that peace processes become irreversible at the invitation of parties to disputes and assisting capacity building for conflict resolution in regional organizations.
4)The Americas Program: improving regional cooperation and the deepening of democracy within the Western Hemisphere, thwarting corruption, increasing transparency, and decreasing social inequities to ensure that free and fair elections lead to the consolidation of democratic institutions and rule of law.
5)China Program: advising China's Ministry of Civil Affairs on local elections practices, voter education, and data collection.

Current peacemaking initiatives include:
1)Observing the 2008 constituent assembly elections in Nepal
2)Encouraging post-conflict strengthening, rule of law, and respect for human rights in Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
3)Helping citizens and governments fight corruption by supporting access to information laws in Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa
4)Strengthening the voices of human rights defenders internationally through an annual human rights defenders policy forum and by advocating for stronger international human rights systems, such as the U.N. Human Rights Council
5)Working at the forefront of efforts to develop a new international election observation methodology for observing electronic voting technologies as part of a project to develop standards for democratic elections
6)Supporting stronger regional protection of democracy and implementation of the hemispheric anti-corruption treaty in the Americas