Support the Harmonization of pan-African Electoral Capacities Against a backdrop of democratic backsliding and shrinking civic space, aggravated by the COVID 19 pandemic, the African Union Commission (AUC) struggles to fulfil its mandate of observing all national elections taking place on the continent. The action will support AUC¿s revised approach to elections, which mixes governance and conflict prevention objectives, thus prioritising support to electoral processes in transitional contexts. It will address its institutional strengthening needs to consolidate its policy coordination and technical capacity to deploy adequate Election Observation Missions (EOMs) and will facilitate the provision of technical assistance by the AUC to promote the implementation of related recommendations and respond adequately to AU member states¿ requests for assistance. Besides, the action will substantially engage with other key electoral stakeholders operating at continental and regional levels. In practice, the action will provide tailored assistance to the AUC department for Political Affairs Peace &amp; Security (PAPS), to Regional Economic Communities (RECs), to some African Governance Architecture (AGA) organs and to networks of Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs). It will also make available substantial technical and financial support to pan-African and regional civil society initiatives involved in election observation and related advocacy activities. Besides it will promote the engagement of a wide range of African electoral practitioners to consolidate nascent initiatives of knowledge exchange, mutual assistance and pooling of resources thus contributing to the harmonisation of electoral standards across Africa consistent with those promoted by the AU.The overall objective of the action is to improve the transparency and the credibility of elections in Africa, which is to be achieved by aiming at two complementary specific objectives. The first one is to harmonize approaches and strengthen institutional capacities of continental, regional and national authorities in electoral observation and in electoral assistance provision. As for the second specific objective, it seeks to strengthen civil society capacities in electoral observation, conflict prevention, gender, youth and persons with disabilities (PWD) inclusion in electoral processes and related to support pan-African networks of CSOs.The proposed Action has been designed in line with the European Democracy Action Plan and integrates all key aspects of the EU Gender Action Plan and the Council Conclusions on Youth in external action. It intends to contribute to priority 2 ¿Governance, Peace and Security, Culture¿ of the Sub-Saharan - Regional Multiannual Indicative Programme 2021-2027 and, more specifically, to its result 1.2: ¿The transparency and credibility of elections in Africa are improved¿. Besides, this action contributes to SGGs 16 (governance, including access to justice for all), 5 (gender equality), and 17 (partnerships for the Goals). The action is also aligned with Aspirations 3 (good governance, democracy, respect for Human Rights, justice and the rule of law), 4 (Peace and security) and 6 (people-driven development, especially women and youth) of Agenda 2063.