–UNDP highlights strengthened democracy & institutional trust during Guyana’s 2025 General and Regional Elections

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has hailed the 2025 General and Regional Elections as a defining moment in Guyana’s democratic journey, recognising it as among the most transparent and professionally administered in the country’s modern history.

According to UNDP’s article, Strengthening Trust in Democracy: UNDP’s Support to Guyana’s 2025 General and Regional Elections, the international development agency credits the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for demonstrating professionalism, impartiality, and a deep commitment to transparency while noting the pivotal support provided through UNDP’s technical assistance programme funded by the United Kingdom.

According to the UNDP, elections are not merely the act of voting. They are a cornerstone of public trust, institutional credibility, and civic empowerment.

For Guyana, the 2025 elections represented a critical opportunity to reinforce the confidence of citizens in their democratic system.

UNDP’s technical support to GECOM focused on increasing transparency, improving communication, strengthening logistics, and enhancing operational systems.

The Electoral Support Project deployed a multidisciplinary team of experts working closely with GECOM, ensuring assistance was timely, practical, and responsive to the Commission’s needs.

This support helped build long-term resilience and institutional capacity, beyond just election day operations.

Reflecting on the peaceful conduct of the polls, smooth tabulation, and broad acceptance of results by political parties and observers, the Team Lead, UNDP Electoral Technical Support to GECOM, said: “As Team Leader… it is reassuring when your strategic advice is implemented to unlock bottlenecks throughout the process.”

Central to the success of the 2025 elections was a major transformation in how GECOM communicated with the public.

With support from UNDP, GECOM was able to:

• Implement a comprehensive Communications Strategy
• Develop a Branding Manual and Crisis Communication Protocol
• Introduce a Media Code of Conduct and Media Policy
• Train more than 100 journalists on electoral ethics and legislation

These measures ensured accurate, consistent, and timely information to citizens and stakeholders.

The programme also prioritised inclusivity, working with disability-representative organisations to inform staff training and ensure accessible voter information that reflected Guyana’s rich cultural diversity.

“The strengthened engagement with all electoral stakeholders ensured the electoral process was more inclusive, credible, and widely accepted,” the UNDP Communications Specialist noted.

Supported by UNDP, GECOM:

• Assessed 2,790 polling stations nationwide
• Trained 13,925 polling staff
• Ensured secure and transparent movement of sensitive materials
• Strengthened systems across coastal, hinterland and riverine regions

The organisation says it looks forward to deepening its partnership with GECOM and other bodies to ensure every future election further strengthens transparency, unity, and civic trust.