DRI - Democracy Reporting International (Tunisia)

Democracy Reporting International (DRI) has been active in Tunisia since the 2011 revolution, accompanying the country’s transformation over the last decade and supporting the introduction of the country’s constitution.

What we do 

Our work in Tunisia focuses on five important areas:

Help ensure and consolidate free and fair elections.
Work to improve the Tunisian judiciary and push for legal reforms in line with the 2014 constitution.
Support and help build the institutions that protect human rights in the country.
Collaborate with parliamentarians and local governments to improve public services.
Promote healthier and inclusive political discourse and work to reduce polarisation.
How we do it 

We use a host of methods to accomplish this, including:

Training civil society to observe elections and ensure that electoral laws are respected.
Strengthening how institutions protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, notably by working with the Access to Information Authority.
Supporting parliament in advancing legal reforms and providing technical expertise to judges and attorneys that work with administrative and audit tribunals.
Working closely with local officials and civil society groups to raise awareness of the country’s decentralisation law and help put it into practice.
Monitoring political campaigning on social media and reporting on our findings.
Projects

Covid-19 Response: Webinar Series on Crisis Communication – In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, DRI organised a webinar series for municipal council members and civil society activists to help them develop community-based responses and effective crisis communication.
Justice Reform, Enhance the Rule of Law, Develop Human Rights and Strengthen Institutions (JEDI) – In this project, DRI seeks to strengthen the rule of law in Tunisia, supporting critical judicial reforms and effective human rights protection. We also promote inclusive, accessible institutions by working with civil society.
Support to Constitution Implementation in Tunisia – Phase III – Together with our Tunisian partners, DRI promoted citizen participation in local governance, free and fair elections, inclusive legislative processes, and the implementation of Tunisia’s 2014 constitution.
Supporting the implementation of Tunisia’s decentralisation reforms – DRI supported the decentralisation process in Tunisia through awareness-raising campaigns of its implications at the municipal level and assistance in establishing effective judicial review.
Young Leaders for Local Democracy – By supporting young civil society leaders through fellowships and sponsorship of local start-up initiatives, DRI enhanced youth participation in local democratic reforms.