International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance

Prelims: Current events of national and international relations | International Organization

Why in news?

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar assumed charge as Chairman of the Council of Member States of the International IDEA for 2026.

IIDEA – It is an intergovernmental organization that supports to strengthen democratic institutions and electoral processes worldwide.
Established in – 1995.
UN Observer - It has been granted UN observer status in 2003.
Mandate – It is explicitly tasked with supporting democracy globally, backed by diverse membership that reinforces legitimacy.
Membership – Began with 14 founding states in 1995; now has 35 Member States and 2 Observers (US, Japan) from all regions of the world.
- India joined International IDEA in 1995 as a founding member.
Secretariat – Stockholm, Sweden.
Governance – Consists of a Council of Member States, a Steering Committee, a Finance and Audit Committee, a Board of Advisers and a Secretariat.
Chairmanship – Each December, Member States elect new Chairs and Vice Chairs, as the Council’s Chairmanship rotates annually by region.
Focus areas
- Electoral Processes
- Constitution-Building
- Democracy Assessment
- Political Participation & Representation
- Climate Change & Democracy
- Digitalization & Democracy
- Gender equality, inclusion
- Money in politics
Partnerships – Works with organizations such as UNDP, European Commission, African Union, Human Rights Watch, and universities like Gothenburg, etc.

International IDEA, 2026

Chairmanship - India
Vice Chairs - Mauritius & Mexico.
Theme, 2026 – Democracy for an inclusive, peaceful, resilient and sustainable world.
2 key pillars – Reimagining democracy for the future & independent and professional election management bodies for sustainable democracy.
Key aspects of India's Chairship
- Global Recognition - This chairship is a significant acknowledgment of India's reputation for conducting free, fair, and transparent elections on a massive scale.
- Priorities - The focus will be on promoting democratic innovation, strengthening global partnerships, and advancing inclusive and resilient democratic systems worldwide.
- Knowledge Sharing - India plans to share best practices and innovations in electoral administration with other Election Management Bodies (EMBs) globally.
- Key Activities - Hosting EMB Leaders Summits, policy dialogues, joint research projects, and capacity-building initiatives through collaborations with the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM).

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