From 9 to 12 June 2026, we participated in the annual seminar and General Assembly of the Réseau des Compétences Électorales Francophones (RECEF) in Namur, Belgium. This year's seminar focused on the theme “Electoral Registers: From Registration to Voting”, bringing together electoral officials, election management bodies, government representatives, international organisations and electoral experts from across the Francophone world to exchange experiences and good practices on voter registration, voter identification, electoral technologies and the future of electoral administration.
Established in 2011, RECEF is a network of electoral management bodies and institutions from the Francophone space dedicated to strengthening electoral governance, promoting peer-to-peer learning and facilitating cooperation among electoral stakeholders. This year's event also marked the fifteenth anniversary of the network and brought together representatives from more than thirty countries and territories across Africa, Europe, North America and Asia, alongside partners including the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), International IDEA, the African Union Commission, ECOWAS and ECES.
Representing ECES, Madjiguene Thiam, Head of Programmes and Resource Mobilisation, contributed to the seminar's discussions on emerging technologies and electoral innovation. During the session dedicated to the future of electoral technologies, artificial intelligence and voter registration systems, she presented ECES' innovative LEAD AI methodology, which combines leadership development, conflict management, communication skills and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in electoral contexts.
Her presentation examined how artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping electoral processes across the electoral cycle. Drawing on ECES' latest research and training materials, she highlighted AI applications in voter registration and biometric identification, electoral logistics, voter information, disinformation monitoring, election security, results auditing and campaign finance oversight. At the same time, she stressed the importance of addressing the risks associated with these technologies, including algorithmic bias, privacy concerns, cybersecurity threats, deepfakes, foreign interference and the growing dependence on private technology providers. She also emphasised the need for transparency, human oversight and robust regulatory frameworks to ensure that technological innovation strengthens rather than undermines public confidence in democratic processes.
Madjiguene also presented the key outcomes of the recent AAEA–ECES Executive Peer Learning Mission to Rome, organised by the Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA), ECES and the African Union Commission with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The mission brought together representatives of African Electoral Management Bodies to discuss electoral governance, cybersecurity, digital sovereignty and the implications of artificial intelligence for elections. Participants exchanged experiences with Italian institutions and experts and adopted the Rome Declaration, which promotes responsible AI governance, enhanced cyber resilience, stronger regional cooperation and greater digital sovereignty for electoral institutions.
The seminar itself featured extensive discussions on the management of electoral registers, voter identification systems, continuous voter registration, biometric technologies and strategies to ensure equal access to voter registration. Participants shared experiences from countries including Belgium, Senegal, Benin, Mauritania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Canada, Romania, Mauritius and Cape Verde, illustrating the diversity of approaches adopted across the Francophone electoral community.
A particularly significant moment of the event took place during the RECEF General Assembly, when Biram Sène, Director General of Elections of Senegal, was unanimously elected by acclamation as President of RECEF. Bringing together electoral institutions from 37 member countries, the network entrusted its leadership to Mr. Sène in recognition of his extensive experience and commitment to electoral governance. His election reflects both his personal leadership and expertise, as well as the growing role of Senegal in promoting democratic governance and electoral cooperation throughout the Francophone world.
ECES warmly congratulates President Biram Sène on his election and looks forward to continuing its collaboration with RECEF and its members. As electoral processes continue to evolve in response to technological innovation, changing societal expectations and emerging security challenges, partnerships and peer-learning platforms such as RECEF remain essential spaces for exchanging experiences, strengthening institutional capacities and promoting credible, inclusive and transparent elections.
