International Affairs
Free, fair and inclusive elections are the cornerstone of democracy and inclusive governance. In accordance with the Canada Elections Act, Elections Canada has been cooperating with electoral agencies in other countries and international organizations for many years. The goal of our international engagement is to strengthen the independence, impartiality, integrity, transparency and professionalism of electoral management both abroad and in Canada to ensure the conduct of free, fair and inclusive election processes.
Elections Canada actively engages with other electoral management bodies and international electoral organizations to develop and share knowledge on effective electoral management. We strive to be a recognized source of information on electoral administration and improve our own practices by learning from others. Our key activities include:
- exchanging best practices, responding to enquiries from other electoral authorities, and hosting international delegations
- participating in multilateral and regional fora, such as the Commonwealth Electoral Network (CEN), the Réseau des compétences électorales francophones (RECEF), the Four Countries Partnership (which includes Australia, Canada, Great Britain and New Zealand), and networks of election authorities in the Americas and Europe
- sharing electoral knowledge by participating in the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network, the world’s largest online community and repository of electoral knowledge
For more information on international electoral activities and resources, please consult the International Electoral Resources section in the Resource Centre.