Chandigarh, November 26 - Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Mr. A Srinivas while giving information said that Chief Election Commissioner of India Mr. Gyanesh Kumar will head the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) for the year 2026.
He said that the Chief Election Commissioner will take charge as the Chairman in the meeting of the Council of Member Countries of International IDEA to be held in Stockholm, Sweden on December 3, 2025. He will chair all the meetings of the Council during the year 2026.
He said that International IDEA, established in the year 1995, is an intergovernmental organization that works to strengthen democratic institutions and processes across the world. It currently has 35 member countries and the United States and Japan as observers. The organisation promotes inclusive, resilient and accountable democracies.
He said that this leadership is a significant achievement that gives global recognition to the Election Commission of India as one of the most credible and innovative election management bodies in the world. India is a founding member of the organisation and has been continuously contributing to democratic consultation and institutional initiatives.
He said that as Chairman, Shri Gyanesh Kumar will use India's unique experience in conducting the world's largest elections to guide the global agenda of International Idea. This will strengthen knowledge sharing among election management bodies, strengthen professional networks and give impetus to evidence-based global electoral reforms. With the world's largest voter list of about 100 crore voters and transparent and well-documented electoral processes, India will share its best practices with electoral institutions around the world throughout the year.
He said that joint programmes, workshops and research collaborations between the training institutes India International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Management and International IDEA will further strengthen the preparedness to tackle challenges like misinformation, electoral violence and voter distrust globally.
Since its inception, IIDEM has signed MoUs with 28 countries and has trained 3,169 officials from about 142 countries.
He said that International IDEA and the Election Commission, under the leadership of the Chief Election Commissioner, will jointly document and disseminate ECI's technical and administrative innovations and special practices at the international level. This leadership is a testament to India's strong democratic tradition and its global leadership capacity in electoral management.