Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar is set to take over as Chair of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) for the year 2026, positioning India at the forefront of global democratic collaboration. He will formally assume the role on 3 December 2025 during the Council of Member States meeting in Stockholm, Sweden.
Founded in 1995, International IDEA is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to strengthening democratic institutions, electoral processes, and political participation across the world. With 35 member countries and the United States and Japan as observers, the organisation works to promote inclusive, resilient, and accountable democracies.
India, a founding member of International IDEA, has been a key contributor to its initiatives and governance. The upcoming chairship reflects international recognition of the Election Commission of India (ECI) as one of the most trusted and innovative election management bodies globally. As a nation that conducts elections for nearly one billion voters through transparent, well-documented systems, India’s experience is seen as invaluable to global democratic development.
As Chair, Gyanesh Kumar will guide the organisation’s strategic agenda, emphasising knowledge-sharing, professional exchanges among Election Management Bodies (EMBs), and evidence-based electoral reforms worldwide. The collaboration will also strengthen ties between International IDEA and ECI’s training institute — the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM).
IIIDEM has emerged as a global hub for election-related training and capacity building, having signed MoUs with 28 countries and trained 3,169 officials from 142 nations. Joint research, workshops, and training programmes between IIIDEM and International IDEA will address critical challenges such as disinformation, electoral violence, and declining voter trust.
Under Gyanesh Kumar’s leadership, India aims to share its best technological and administrative election practices with EMBs globally while contributing to a stronger, more resilient global democratic landscape.
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