Carter Center Press Releases

May 14, 2012
Carter Center Announces International Delegation for Egypt's Presidential Election (عربي)
The Carter Center has received accreditation as an organization from Egypt's Supreme Presidential Election Commission and will deploy 22 international election witnesses from 14 countries for the presidential election scheduled May 23-24, 2012. They will be joined by a larger delegation of 80 witnesses from over 35 nations that will travel to Egypt several days before the election, led by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

May 11, 2012
The Carter Center Encourages Increased Transparency and Public Participation in Tunisia's
Constitution Drafting Process; Calls for Progress to Establish Independent Election Management Body
(En français)(عربي)
The Carter Center office in Tunisia has found that issues of transparency and participation in the country's recently established National Constituent Assembly (NCA) are coming to the forefront and recommends the establishment of a detailed work plan and timeline to help structure NCA work and increase visibility on the process and accountability to stated objectives.

April 23, 2012
Statement by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on the Death of Jorge Santistevan de Noriega
Rosalynn and I, along with our Americas Program colleagues, were saddened to learn of Jorge Santistevan de Noriega's passing on April 18. Jorge was a courageous Ombudsman of Peru during the difficult 2000 elections, a member of the Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and a friend who joined me in promoting democracy and human rights in the Americas.

April 4, 2012
The Dominican Republic and Haiti Continue Plans to Eliminate Malaria and Lymphatic Filariasis on the Island by 2020 (En espańol) (En français)
Efforts to eliminate two mosquito-borne diseases – malaria and lymphatic filariasis – in Haiti and the Dominican Republic are ongoing, with the first of four binational meetings on the issue to take place in 2012, held in Santo Domingo on the 29th and 30th of March of this year, with participants from the technical teams of the National Center for Tropical Disease Control, the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Health and the National Malaria Control Program of the Haitian Ministry of Health. Also participating in the strategic meeting are experts from The Carter Center, The Panamerican Health Organization (OPS) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

April 3, 2012
Carter Center Supports Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation
The Carter Center today announced its support for the Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation at the official launch of the document at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.  The declaration was developed through a consensus process with representatives of domestic monitoring groups from West Africa, Southern Africa, East Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

March 23, 2012
Carter Center Statement on Mali
The Carter Center strongly condemns the seizure of power in Mali by elements of the military. The Carter Center calls for the immediate and peaceful return to constitutional order and the establishment of a short transition toward the scheduled elections.

March 17, 2012
South Sudan:  Carter Center Praises Progress on Legal Framework, Urges Informed Debate on
Electoral Bill
Following a series of public hearings, South Sudan's National Legislative Assembly (NLA) is in the final review stages of a national elections bill to establish the framework for political competition in future elections in South Sudan. Taking into account that passage of an elections bill is needed to move forward with by-elections for vacant legislative seats at the state and national level, The Carter Center encourages all stakeholders to continue to contribute to a thorough debate on the draft bill.

March 14, 2012
Open Letter from Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to the People of Nepal (नेपालीमा पढ्नुहोस)
My colleagues at The Carter Center and I commend Nepal's government and political parties for closing 13 of 28 cantonments and completing the discharge process for those Maoist combatants who have chosen voluntary retirement. These are important steps toward completing the peace process.

March 12, 2012
Winter Weekend Auction Raises $1,347,550 for Carter Center Peace and Health Programs
The Carter Center's annual Winter Weekend auction, held March 10, 2012, in San Diego, Ca., raised $1,347,550 to benefit the not-for-profit Center's initiatives to advance peace and health worldwide.

March 5, 2012
Applications Being Accepted for the 2012-2013 Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism
Applications from U.S. residents are now being accepted for six one-year journalism fellowships with the Carter Center's Mental Health Program. These fellowships aim to enhance public understanding of mental health issues and reduce stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses through balanced and accurate reporting.

Feb. 29, 2012
Carter Center and Liberia Extend Agreement to Promote Freedom of Information
The Carter Center and the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism (MICAT), have extended their Memorandum of Understanding to continue ongoing collaboration to promote and strengthen awareness, implementation, and compliance with the 2010 Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.

Feb. 28, 2012
Carter Center Preliminary Statement on Egypt's Shura Council Election (عربي)
As Egypt's new parliament works to select a 100-member Constitutional Drafting Committee, the Carter Center's mission to witness the country's Shura elections urges Egypt's elected representatives to address the overwhelming lack of representation of women in the parliament by ensuring at least 30 percent of the committee is female.

Feb. 24, 2012
Declaration of the Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter in Support of Freedom of Expression in Ecuador (En español - PDF)
We, the undersigned, Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, express our deep concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression in the Republic of Ecuador.

Feb. 23, 2012
Carter Center: Democratic Republic of the Congo Legislative Election Results Compromised (En français - PDF)
The Carter Center finds that as with the Nov. 28, 2011, presidential election in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the integrity of the national assembly results has been compromised. It is difficult, and given the circumstances and amount of time that has passed, perhaps impossible, for the Independent National Election Commission (CENI) or any other body to reconstruct fully the results in the hopes of producing a faithful record of the will of the people.

Feb. 23, 2012
Uganda's Success Against River Blindness: An Inspiration for Africa and an International Challenge
The Carter Center congratulates Uganda for its historic achievement of interrupting transmission of river blindness disease (onchocerciasis) in several parts of the country, freeing hundreds of thousands from risk of this scourge. Uganda's success is helping to change widely held views that river blindness is such a pervasive public health problem in Africa that it can only be controlled, not eliminated. Of the 18 endemic areas in the country, Mt. Elgon, Itwara, and Wadelai are the first to interrupt transmission of river blindness since Uganda launched its elimination effort in 2007.

Feb. 16, 2012
The Carter Center Calls on Israel to Release Hunger Striker Khader Adnan (عربي)
The Carter Center calls on the Israeli government to immediately charge or release Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan, who was arrested on Dec. 17, 2011, based on "secret evidence" and has been held in administrative detention without charge.

Feb. 16, 2012
DRC: Carter Center Deplores Suppression of Church-Led Peaceful March (En anglais et en français)
The Carter Center deplores the suppression of today's march by Christian groups in Kinshasa to protest discontent over the recent elections, and calls on the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) not to interfere with the rights of Congolese citizens to peaceful assembly and expression.

Feb. 14, 2012
Carter Center Appoints H. Inman Allen Board of Councilors Chair
H. Inman Allen, chairman of the Ivan Allen Company, has been appointed chair of the Carter Center's Board of Councilors for 2012. The board is comprised of 234 members, who serve as a leadership advisory group that promotes understanding among opinion leaders and the broader community of The Carter Center and its activities.

Feb. 13, 2012
Rare Presidential and Carter Memorabilia to Be Auctioned to Benefit The Carter Center
Original artwork by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, rare Camp David Accords memorabilia, and celebrity-autographed guitars are among the more than 150 items up for public auction in San Diego, Ca. on March 10, 2012, during the Carter Center's annual Winter Weekend event. For the past 19 years, the auction has been a critical source of support for the not-for-profit Center's international work advancing peace and health. Last year, the highest bid item at the fundraiser was an original painting by President Carter, which sold for $150,000.

Feb. 10, 2011
Carter Center and JPC Expand Liberian Community Legal Advice Services Into Montserrado County
The Carter Center, in partnership with the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (JPC), and working under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Justice, is expanding its Community Legal Advisor (CLA) program to provide legal support services in Montserrado County. With support from USAID and Humanity United, this expansion now will enable residents of Monrovia and surrounding communities to have access to free community-based legal services, access to alternative dispute resolution, and knowledge of their rights.

Feb. 9, 2012
Carter Center Study Group to Visit Venezuela for Feb. 12 Primaries (En español y en inglés)
As Venezuela enters an important election year, The Carter Center will send a small study group of international experts to the country for the opposition's primary elections on Feb. 12, 2012. The candidates chosen in the primaries will represent the political opposition in the Oct. 7 presidential elections and the December 2012 governor and mayoral elections.

Feb. 7, 2012
South Sudan: Carter Center Urges Broad Participation in Assembly's Hearing on Political Parties Bill
The Carter Center commends South Sudan's National Legislative Assembly for its decision to convene a public hearing on the draft Political Parties Bill and solicit input from political parties, civil society, and citizens. This is an important opportunity for South Sudanese to provide input and demonstrate citizens' interest in the political process. The Carter Center urges interested stakeholders to review the bill and participate in the public hearing, which will be held Feb. 9-10 in Juba.

Feb. 4, 2012
Carter Center Preliminary Statement on the First Round of Voting in Egypt's Shura Council Elections (عربي)
Carter Center witnesses in Egypt observed low levels of interest and participation among voters, political parties, and nongovernmental organizations during the first stage of the country's Shura Council elections. Despite the brief respite between the People's Assembly and Shura Council elections, Egypt's election authority was able to introduce several technical amendments for the Shura election including the use of more secure ballot boxes and the counting of votes at polling stations.

Jan. 31, 2012
Over 10 Million Nepalis Registered to Vote, Ensuring Access for Remaining Unregistered Voters Crucia
(नेपालीमा पढ्नुहोस)
In a report released today, The Carter Center commended the Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) for registering more than 10 million Nepali citizens to date, and encouraged the ECN to undertake additional efforts to reach out to those who have yet to participate in the process.

Jan. 30, 2012
Carter Center Welcomes Gates Foundation, UAE, CIFF Funding to Achieve Guinea Worm Eradication
$40 million in donations announced today from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) will enable a Carter Center-led eradication campaign to end Guinea worm disease by 2015. The Center also announced today that provisional results show only 1,060 cases of Guinea worm occurred worldwide in 2011.

Jan. 24, 2012
Carter Center Urges Israel to Release Palestinian Legislators (عربي)
The Carter Center denounces the recent detention of Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Dr. Aziz Dweik, as well as the arrests of three other legislators and one former minister, who are members of the speaker's Hamas-affiliated faction.

Jan. 13, 2012
Carter Center Witnessing Mission for Egypt People's Assembly Elections: Executive Summary of Findings
(عربي)
Egypt's People's Assembly elections enjoyed broad participation from voters and are a progressive step toward a democratic transition. While there were shortcomings in the legal framework, campaign violations, and weaknesses in the administration of the elections, the results appear to be a broadly accurate expression of the will of the voters.  However, the ultimate success of Egypt's transition will depend on the earliest possible handover of power to a civilian government that is accountable to the Egyptian people.

Jan. 6, 2012
Former Hemispheric Leaders Call for Reform of Nicaragua Electoral System (En español y en inglés)
The Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, a group of  former leaders and eminent persons in the western hemisphere,  today called for "serious review and reform" of Nicaragua's electoral system.

Jan. 2, 2012
Jimmy Carter to Lead Carter Center Delegation to Egypt (عربي)
The Carter Center announced today that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter will visit Egypt next week as part of the Center's witnessing of Egypt's parliamentary elections.