India's CEC Gyanesh Kumar to lead International IDEA council in 2026

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will chair the International IDEA in 2026, a move signifying global recognition of the Election Commission of India's expertise in conducting the world's largest elections and strengthening democratic processes.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will assume the Chairmanship of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) for the year 2026 to be held in Stockholm, Sweden, on December 03, a release from the Election Commission of India said. As Chair, he will preside over all Council meetings in 2026.

International IDEA, established in 1995, is an intergovernmental organisation committed to strengthening democratic institutions and processes worldwide. With a current membership of 35 countries and the United States and Japan as Observers, the organisation promotes inclusive, resilient, and accountable democracies (List of Member Countries in Annexure).

A Milestone for Indian Elections

The Chairship marks a significant milestone, reflecting global recognition of the Election Commission of India as one of the world's most credible and innovative Election Management Bodies (EMBs).

India, a founding member of IIDEA, has consistently contributed to the organisation's governance, democratic discourse and institutional initiatives.

Shaping the Global Agenda

As Chair, CEC Gyanesh Kumar will leverage the country's unmatched experience of conducting the world's largest elections to shape IIDEA's global agenda. The collaboration will strengthen knowledge-sharing, reinforce professional networks among EMBs, and support evidence-based global electoral reforms.

As the world's largest electorate of nearly a billion electors, with well-laid-out, transparent, and documented electoral processes, India will endeavour to share its best practices with EMBs worldwide during the year.

Enhancing Global Electoral Readiness

Joint programmes, workshops, and research collaborations among ECI's training institute, the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM), and IIDEA will further enhance global readiness to address challenges such as disinformation, electoral violence, and the erosion of voter trust.

The Role of IIIDEM

Since its inception, IIIDEM has been training election officials not only in the country but also worldwide. To date, IIIDEM has signed MoUs with 28 countries and has also trained 3169 officials from nearly 142 countries.

Disseminating Best Practices

Under CEC's leadership, IIDEA and ECI will work closely to document and disseminate ECI's technological and administrative innovations and best practices internationally. (ANI)

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