oPeN Parliament e-Network: 'Parliaments and Pandemics: Going virtual and staying open in the COVID-19 age' - 8 May 2020, 10:00AM ET (GMT-5)

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This webinar aims to support parliaments who are exploring or debating the possibility of hosting virtual parliamentary sittings or committee meetings while continuing to strengthen parliamentary openness. This session would allow participants to learn from the experiences of parliaments that have implemented virtual sittings and/or committee meetings, to discuss the importance of ensuring that parliaments continue to promote transparency and access to information, accountability, participation and high ethical standards as they adapt, and to exchange concerns and solutions that are arising as part of their respective studies or discussions on the matter.

University of Melbourne: 'Constitutional Government during a Pandemic: An Australian Perspective' - 7 May 2020, 13.00 (GMT+10)

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The COVID 19 crisis placed extraordinary stresses on Australian governments. They are required at once to respond to an public health and economic crisis while the machinery of government cannot function as usual. This panel will explore the way Australia’s constitutional arrangements have responded to this challenge and consider new ways forward. It will examine the operation of Parliament and elections, executive accountability, civil liberties, the functioning of the federal system and the closure of state and national borders.

Panellists: Professor Joo-Cheong Tham, Professor Emeritus Cheryl Sanders AO, Professor Michael Crommelin

Moderated by: Professor Adrienne Stone

Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic for African Elections and Democracy - 6 May 2020, 2:30pm-3:30pm

LInk here

Overview

The COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for African countries seeking to hold elections or further democratization – including the practicalities of adapting containment measures to electoral processes in the context of strained financial and logistical resources. It may also be used as a pretext for the pursuit of repressive legislation and constitutional amendments to preclude elections or bolster authoritarianism, compounded by new constraints on accountability mechanisms such as election observation missions.

At this event, Dr Christopher Fomunyoh will discuss the likely impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on elections and democracy in various African countries, as well as responses and measures to meet the multifaceted challenges posed.

Carnegie Endowment: 'Authoritarians or Democrats: Who Is Better Prepared to Cope with COVID-19 and What Lies Beyond?' - 6 May 2020, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM EDT (GMT-4)

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The coronavirus pandemic poses an unprecedented threat to governments around the world. Are authoritarian states inherently better suited to deal with the pandemic? What is at stake for democratic states as they attempt to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus? And what are the lasting implications for governments in a post-pandemic world? Are we witnessing a series of transformative events that will fundamentally alter governments’ relations with their publics?

Strasbourg Observers: 'The State’s positive obligations under IHRL during the coronavirus outbreak' - 5 May 2020, 15.00 (GMT+1)

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After thought-provoking webinars on “Human Rights in the Times of Coronavirus” and “Council of Europe: The Conscience of Europe in a Time of Crisis” (recorded versions of which are available here and here), next week a third webinar in the series will address the role of positive obligations in the context of Covid-19. The webinar takes place on Tuesday 5 May at 3 pm UK time, 4 pm CET. Here is the announcement:

'Declarations of state of emergency and government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic' 4 May 2020, 16.30 (GMT+3)

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With:

Christian Bjørnskov, University of Aarhus in DenmarkandStefan Voigt, University of Hamburg in Germany and PI at the Minerva Center

Declaring states of emergencies during the corona pandemic: Where and why?

Nir Kosti, PhD candidate at the Department of Political Science, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Does a state of emergency lead to a more restrictive policy?

Yale MacMillan Center: 'Democracy and Rise of Authoritarianism in COVID-19 World' - 24 April 2020, 12.00pm-1.30pm (GMT-4)

Recording here

Link here

Yale Macmillan Center Location: Online () see map

A webinar panel discussion featuring MacMillan Center faculty and visiting scholars. Register for the Zoom Webinar: https://yale.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UB88sIxcTkONqoTqZNiKgw

Description:
This webinar will aim to shine a light on the anti-democratic processes that are happening in some countries at the present due to the Covid-19 virus. Some national leaders, presidents and prime ministers, use this extremely difficult time to ground their authoritarian regimes and take power away from democratic institutions. Simultaneously, and inevitably, they, also make dictatorial decisions that endanger the people–examples include Hungary, Belarus, India, and Brazil.

'Impact of the COVID19 Crisis on Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law in French and Lusophone Speaking Countries of Central and West Africa' - 23 April 2020, 2.00pm-4.00pm (GMT+2)

Recording here

Webinar on the Impact of the COVID19 Crisis on Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law in French and Lusophone Speaking Countries of Central and West Africa.

April 23, 2020, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

As the COVID19 crisis worsens, its effects on the democratic development of African countries becomes one of the main priorities. Much attention has been paid to the question of its consequences for electoral processes. Its impact on constitutionalism and the rule of law in these states has not really been questioned.

International IDEA Web Chat: 'Democracy and the Rule of Law in Crisis' - 22 April 2020, 13.00 UTC

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The outbreak of the Coronavirus is placing greater strain on democracy and the rule of law.

While the question of democracy and the rule of law in crisis has been around for quite some time, the misuse of personal data, the surge in fake news, extensive surveillance, and human right violations amid COVID-19, have all further undermined faith in the democratic process and the idea of equality before the law. In a similar manner, the recent adoptions of emergency laws and decrees worldwide in the face of an unseen threat have exacerbated doubts in the promptness and robustness of political responses in the world’s democracies.

Evidence for Democracy: 'Combatting Misinformation in the Time of COVID-19' - 16 April 2020, 2.00pm (ET)

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What - In this free webinar, we will discuss the topic of combatting misinformation in the context of COVID-19. With the flood of news and discussion happening on social media, it can be hard to see through it all and determine what is fact and what is not. Within the context of COVID-19 and the current information landscape we will answer the following questions:

  • What is misinformation?

  • How is it formed and spread?

  • Why are we susceptible to misinformation?

  • What can we do about it?

Martens Centre: 'COVID-19 and the Future of Liberal Democracy' - 16 April 2020, 15:30-16:30 (GMT+2)

Link here

This online event aims to look at how the pandemic is changing the relationship between governmental authorities and citizens in Europe and beyond. Governments all over the planet are adopting intrusive and restrictive measures, including the use of advanced technologies to track and control their population. They are encountering little resistance and even a fair degree of social consensus in the process. The example of ruthlessly effective authoritarian regimes such as China risks becoming more alluring and increasing divides within the EU.